Equal Romance :03: Unstable Distance
by Ayotte
Summary: Third in the Equal Romance Trilogy. Kim & Ron are seemingly confident they will never have to experience turmoils that once hounded them. A new location & new people neither expect will bring a new perspective on the other & perhaps a little distance. R
1. An Obscure Reprise

Hello once again, everyone!

A huge warm returns to previous readers of Equal Romance and a great big welcome to new readers! Now listen up: have **you have never read Equal Romance before? No?** If that's you then STOP. FREEZE. Don't you click the scroll bar, yea I'm looking at youD: This story is story number **three** in the **Equal Romance _Trilogy_**. That's right, this is the _last_ one so you're obviously going to have spoilers unloaded. That's why, if you're keen on this story, I suggest you start with **Equal Romance :01: Tension Living**, the first, then move on to **Equal Romance :02: Obscure Ways** **to Devotion**. Yes, it's a lot to read, but I don't update every five seconds (cough) and this story isn't going to run away on you. So please, **read Tension Living first**! ... And thus I kill half of my readers with bold typeface omg.

But seriously. Onto business. I am SO sorry for the long wait! No, really, I have a legit reason this time XD My wrists. Were in SO much pain. Thankfully, it's not carpal tunnel, but it's on the path to it if I'm not careful, apparently it's really bad and I don't need the physio to tell me that, I can feel it. So please excuse the slow updates. I work on them whenever I can which is when my wrists permit as they are _not_ healed yet D: And yet I am a crazy kamikaze determined writer and I will not let them get in the way at times. Good for you!

Here I would like to take time to thank ALL the reviewers from ER02-OWtD14. Because they made me smile.

HUGE thanks to: AndyCosta, John Steppenwolf, Ultra Sonic 007, daydream11, CajunBear73, vanilalilies, memoirs of a faded memory, Ultimate Naco Topping, JPMod, Ezbok58a, LJFan, Rufus 986, xoxoAllMe92, Rachel J. Lupin, Winter's Ebony (wahoi for Canada!), Kitsune6, thsunami, Gryfffinrose, Larie-chan, Stoppable-san, Cold-Chaos, X-Factor, conan98002 (as in Meitantei Conan?), Razzle Jazzle, mooneasterbunny, Ace Ian Combat, The Infernal, Kenny's SpaceCadet (thank-you ;; those were _very_ kind words!), Lovova, momike, eViLrEadEr, Char and Loo (Ron wants to know if this Friday is good for you to hold our Going To Hell party? He also notes thatit'sup to you to bringKoda Kumi with herinfamous beer bottle. He adds that it will surelybe 'JUICY'!)

Interesting question from **Stoppable-san**: "_I maybe wrong but when Ron woke up from being in a coma did he actually die and just came back to life with his MMP lives?_"

It's a good question. He didn't die. What was happening in his mind was that his body was _waking him up;_ waking his mind. All the memories whooshing around were them being sorted and he was waking and if he woke with Kim in his mind it would've killed her cos the weight of his active conscious mind would have filled his entire mind thus leaving no room for her to exist and blahblahblah. So yea, the first life he lost was the Tower Event.

Now I'm sure returning readers would like to know wth is happening in the story since I left off so I'm going to shut myself up, pleasing you & my wrists and let you guys get one with the_ last_ story of the trilogy, **Equal Romance :03: Unstable Distance**! Enjoy!

-A. King

* * *

¤ Instalment 01 »» _An Obscure Reprise_ ¤

Another day is like a new beginning

And so today I know that it's a new start

I know the bad times are disappearing

Cause now I know that we'll never be apart

-SonicR, '_Diamonds in the Sky_'

* * *

From the view outside the window, Kim Possible poked her nose through the murky-yellow curtains and scanned the view. Eyes darting from left to right she discovered that she was just in time for instantly Kim recognised the sleek motorbike gliding down the pavement and into her sight. Eagerly, Kim stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her cheek to the glass to continue watching the motorbike roll up into the parking lot against the building she was in. The driver of the motorbike sat up, and pulled off his helmet; a bright smile spread across Kim's face as she watched the driver's blonde bangs sweep out of the helmet and pull back his head to look around. As soon as Kim saw _it_, she fell into an enlightened giggle fit.

Fleeing from the window before she was spotted, Kim bounded eagerly onto the nearby bed and pulled close her already laid out textbooks and binders then picked up her pencil: all ready to apply the mirage that she had been working the entire time and had _not_ been awaiting his return anxiously. Yes, however she didn't put up the pretence yet. The excitement still buzzed with and instead, she paused and strained her ears for the sounds of footsteps approaching her room. Instantly, she sucked in her breath when she heard the sounds coming closer and closer… Down went Kim's head, burying herself in her textbooks right as the doorknob began to turn. It was a good thing her long auburn hair drooped down, it concealed her large smile.

"Augh," she heard Ron Stoppable groan as he entered her room. "Back. That took, like, forever."

"Oh?" Kim asked, trying her best to sound uninterested and focused on her homework.

"Yea, I thought I'd never be out of there. They kept swarming me with questions." She heard the sounds of Ron moving about the small room. "Then there was a billion plus ten to choose from! Mang, you should've been there, chicken." She didn't notice the curious glance he sent her, "But I got 'em…"

"Ah?"

"They're not very comfortable, I can say that already."

"Well they're only temporary, right?" She felt the bed shift as Ron took a seat on her bed.

"Definitely! Hey, you ignoring me or something? Don't you want to see?"

"Mmm." Kim said, continuing to keep her head down.

"Kiiiiim," Ron called, beginning for her attention. "There is no way that homework can be more fascinating than me."

She didn't respond. Although another smirk crossed her face when she heard Ron's indignant huff towards being ignored like this.

"I know you're just pretending," he insisted, moving closer to her. "I bet you saw from the window didn't you? I bet you were totally waiting by the window the moment I left, right?"

The grin spread across Kim and she couldn't fight it anymore. Lifting her head, she began to laugh. "You're right, how could I miss such entertainment as the first glance? I had to know which kind you'd get! If you weren't careful, you could totally uglify yourself."

Ron scowled, shaking his head. "Well it don't matter. I said they're only temporary until I can get contacts!"

"Oh, but your glasses make you look so much more intelligent!" Kim placed her pencil on the middle of her textbook and reached forwards for his glasses.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean!" Ron tried to pull away from her but he didn't bother to put up much of a fight. Gently, Kim lifted the glasses off of Ron's face and held them in her hands, observing them.

"I like the brown frames— they go with your eyes. And very light weight too!"

"Yea, figured they should be when we go on missions and stuff."

Kim gave another laugh before handing them back to Ron and watched him place them back on his face. "I think glasses, in the long run what with our missions, might end up costing more than contacts!"

Ron snorted knowing she was probably right but then became distracted by the Chinese takeaway on the bed in front of Kim's textbooks. "Oh, hey, this for me?" he asked, reaching forwards for the food.

"Ah!" Kim reached out and smacked Ron's greedy fingers with her pencil. "That's for studying members only! Your bag's at the foot of the bed," and she arched her eyebrows at him. Reaching forwards, she took a box of takeaway for herself and split the pair of chopsticks to use.

Ron tossed his head back in feigned agony. "Aw, c'mon, don't want to strain the eyes so soon…"

"We have a review on Monday, Ron, and homework still left to do," Kim replied simply, eating and hanging her head over her textbook.

"Yea, and there's _also_ a party to-night," Ron added slyly.

"Really?" Kim asked and pushed some noodles into her mouth. To be honest, it didn't interest her that much. "Where?"

"Frat's holding it," Ron replied, sneakily reaching for a box of takeaway.

"How come I haven't heard?"

Ron snorted a laugh and began to dig into his own food. "Huh, maybe because you've been stuck up here," Ron motioned around the room with his head, "The whole day? It's only been a few weeks and I, uh," he dropped the chopsticks into the box and laid it down. "Thought maybe we could spend some time there and then… I dunno… hang out afterwards?"

Kim sighed, "Ron, homework doesn't finish itself."

"I thought you caught up on Christmas Break," he mentioned, craning his neck with little interest towards her textbook and ate some chicken.

"I did, but this is new and I still have this—"

"Kim, it's _Friday_. Friday? Party? Do these words mean nothing to you? What else do you think Saturday is for?"

Kim rolled her eyes, "For recovering the hangover you get from the party that leaves you too stupid to do the homework," she retorted dryly.

"Who says we have to drink? Let's just go and have a good time, our first hang-out since ever. C'mon, Kim, please?"

Another sigh came from Kim as rolled back her head in thought. "Alright. But I'm going to keep working until it's time to go and not any sooner."

"Besides, if we do, there's always Sunday, right?"

"_Ron!_ You know the same goes for you? Now crack open that binder. That's the deal."

Clicking his tongue, Ron pulled his heavy backpack on the floor where he had left it that morning and hauled out his binder and textbook. "I'm agreeing _only_ because you got me takeaway," he added contemptuously, pointing a chopstick at her. As he leaned back to place his bag back on the floor, he noticed his pet naked mole-rat, Rufus, snoozing on Kim's dresser. Ron's eyes fell with compassion.

"Hey," he whispered to Kim. "How's Rufus doing? Everything okay when I was out?"

Kim leaned back and took a look at the ailing mole-rat. "He did fine, Ron. He just slept the entire time, I checked on him, no big."

And yet even with this information, Ron's face fell and he felt the emotion beginning to rise within. Leaning forwards, he wrapped his arms around his thin stomach. "I wish that extra nine lives thing would make him young again."

"But it only revives you at the age you died," Kim reminded him gently. She reached out a hand to rub his shoulder gently. "Don't think about that now," she said soothingly, "Let's just focus on our homework… you… you don't want to stress over what's not happening now… right?"

"But it will."

"But not _now_. Ron, please, cheer up? Remember the party later to-night. First night we get to hang out without homework getting in the way, right?"

"Right…" Ron replied, his voice was still trailing, his grief obviously still present.

"I'm looking forwards to it."

"Me too."

Kim gave Ron a final rub on the shoulder before returning back to her homework. She didn't delve back completely until, from the corner of her eyes, she noticed Ron eventually lowering his head to his textbook.

It was the sad and perturbing truth but Rufus was becoming old.

He had been so for some time, but now in January, it was beginning to overboard on the obvious. At first, Ron had tried to deny Rufus' declining health and forced his little pal to be more active. Kim had stood back and watched this with intense inner strife. But soon Kim began to notice the dire increase Rufus' health and knew it was time to have that deep talk with Ron. She winced at the memory, recalling how heartbroken Ron was when she had to say certain words… certain… 'D' words…

Ron had clung the little naked mole-rat close to himself and fought to hold himself from weeping. Kim had tenderly taken Rufus from Ron's hold and cringed when, in her hands, she felt how limp Rufus was. How could Ron not have noticed this? No, she was sure he had. Not that Rufus was entirely a deadbeat, he still had life in him, but it was true that he slept more often than before; especially within the last week. Tapping her pencil on her paper, she couldn't help but think it was the mole-rat's time soon…

She had no idea how to deal with that time with Ron. She knew if he was like _this_ now- she looked up at him and watched him sombrely writing in his binder. Kim noticed how he seemed to write every letter purposefully and steadily. Ron's emotions would only worsen from what they were now and that was the main reason why Kim agreed to going to the party to-night. Hopefully, it would provide Ron enough of a distraction to enjoy himself.

It was at eight o'clock and the Chinese takeaway had been consumed hours ago. Noticing the time, Ron finally dumped his books off his lap and onto the bed and leaned back, stretching.

"Okay, Kimbo, that's enough, I demand it. It's time to get ready. I think I'm going to end up cross-eyed with all the homework they give us."

"The party's not until nine o'clock," Kim said quietly as she continued to write a paper. "We still have some time left…"

Ron eyed her prudently and pulled her binder from underneath her gently. "Nu-uh, not with the time it takes you to get ready."

Rolling her eyes, she allowed Ron to haul her off of her bed and over to her dresser to pick out something decent to wear. Again, Kim took a deep inner breath and wished, deep down inside, that Ron would finally be able to have himself a delightful party night, leaving the woes of his ailing pet behind.

-ø-

Kim sighed, surveying the room and all the various students of the fraternity and neighbouring sorority mingling, dancing, shooting billiards, joking. The clamour in the air was constant and yet somehow dimmed on Kim's ears. As she soaked the scenery in, she couldn't stop the long overdue thoughts from coming to her: so here she was, in University with Ron. She gave the room another slow scrutinise and marvelled at how far the two had come. It almost seemed slightly surreal.

Back in the summer, she had been positively fraught when they had received their return applications from the various Universities they had applied for. It wasn't so much for herself that she was anxious about, she knew she had done well, no— it more for_ Ron_ her stress meter elevated for.

He hadn't exactly had the best results in the final exams, in Kim's mind, have you; he hadn't even seem pleased about them himself. And yet even so, Kim had repeatedly reassured Ron. They had studied so veraciously together and Kim even took time out of her own cram-schedule to help Ron learn everything he would need to know to pass. It had been a rigorous time for them, there had been a _lot_ of stress and more than a few arguments along the way. But soon enough, the Universities responded and on that day, Ron sped into Kim's house with his letters to see if Kim had received hers.

And she had. Together, at Kim's kitchen table, they sat and opened each University letter together.

" Lowerton Community College," Kim had announced and they opened their first letters together, scanning the letter for the response. Of course, neither had been surprised that they had _both_ been accepted there.

Ron had been a little egotistical there, but Kim's worry hadn't evaporated. If that had been the only one he had been accepted into then… Kim had no choice… Kim distinctly recalled gulping hard there.

Middleton University was next and Ron exploded with good cheer when he told Kim's entire household he had been accepted; Kim too. Kim's parents, Mr and Mrs Possible, were in the kitchen as well. Both were pretending to be doing their own thing when it was fairly obvious her parents were actually just as excited and bursting with anticipation as Kim and Ron.

They moved on to Tri-city University, accepted them both again! It was looking solid so far. The last one, Upperton University was the one everyone had awaited the most. Of all the Universities they had applied for, Upperton's was the most prestigious and arduous to be accepted into (not only that but it cost an arm and a leg… and an eye, and a tooth, and an ear and a finger and a…).

"Not accepted," Ron had sunk into his seat and held his rejection letter.

Kim held her own, looking down at her received results feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Me either," she replied. " Tri-city University it is then."

Kim remembered Ron perking up and sitting straight in his seat next to her. From there he went into a rant about how _dare_ Upperton University reject _the_ Kim Possible! He ranted about how hard she had studied, how great she was and that it_ had_ to be a mistake.

While Ron had been busy ranting, Kim had tried to fold her letter up and slip it back into the envelope. Only she didn't see her Mom lurking right behind her to read the rejection letter for herself. Kim noticed her shadow and twirled around, cramming the letter as quickly as she could into the envelope.

"Yes," her Mother had said, walking away with the coffee mug in her hands and taking a sip. "It's a pity indeed," and she raised her eyebrows knowingly at Kim who blushed and turned away.

Only her Mother shared in the secret that Kim _had_ been accepted into Upperton University. But Kim couldn't bring herself to part with Ron. Not only did the _idea_ of being away from Ron for that long nearly made her faint, but it did something else inside of her. She felt a real strong, knot in her stomach as if it was shouting at her own thoughts: 'No! No! You will _not_ be an _inch_ away from Ron, don't you even _dare_!'.

Licking her lips, she glanced at Ron now noticing her and taking her disturbed face for sadness about her rejection. He patted her on the back, trying to solace her. She smiled at him and told herself she wouldn't part from him— that she would go to Tri-city to be with Ron. It was too painful, as silly as it sounded. Emotionally and… strangely enough, physically too… Odd… And she knew she hadn't been disillusioned because she felt it on more than one occasion when being separated from Ron too…

But she wouldn't have to fret about something as whimsical as being parted from Ron any longer, she grinned to herself presently while watching him hold onto a billiard stick by some fellow fraternity members he was talking too. Kim searched in her mind and found no occasion in the future when she would ever have to be apart from Ron ever again and found no reason to fear such a notion.

"Hey, Ron," Kim called, grabbing his attention.

"Yea, Kimbo?"

"Gonna go get a drink, want anything?"

"_No_ punch. Well, test it first. I don't want that whole—"

" 'Spiked Punch and Prince Wally' thing happening again, I know," Kim teased. "I'll be back," she laughed, walking into the next room. As she left, she could hear a frat boy question Ron what that was about to which Ron shook off gruffly.

By passing dancing students in the lounge-turned-dance room, Kim made her way to the refreshment table. She was just picking up a plastic cup, head bobbing absent-mindedly to the song playing on the stereo, when she managed to hear her name being called from behind above all the voices.

"Kim! Long time, no see!"

"Jessica!"

The blonde-haired girl with the deep blue eyes and freckles that stepped through the crowd was a face Kim definitely remembered. This girl was one of the few Middleton High cheerleaders to have gone to Tri-city University with Kim _and_ make it onto the new cheer squad during the September tryouts. Sadly, most of the girls had gone to different schools. Both Hope and Tara, Bonnie's best friends, had been accepted into Upperton University, while most of the others had gone straight to Middleton University or College.

"How was your Winter Break?" Kim inquired, pouring herself some punch.

"Oh, great!" Jessica replied, "Went back to Middleton to stay with my parents. How about you?"

"The same," Kim nodded. "As great as independence is, it's still nice to go home once and awhile."

"Agreed," Jessica laughed, "Will you be attending this Monday's practice? You don't want to be replaced, right?"

Kim snorted. "No big. Don't even worry about it. I'll be attending each and every practice, there's no way _I'll_ be removed from the squad," Kim was aware she had come off a tad haughty as she spoke this, "Especially not if _Bonnie's_ on the squad."

Jessica nodded grimly. "I couldn't believe she replaced that West White Water High girl! That girl was beyond stellar! It'd have been better not only for_ us_ if that other girl had been picked, but for the squad as well. I bet Lonnie's regretting that decision now."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Kim replied. "If you ask me, there was something fishy about that replacement."

"Yea, but better that other girl than me. I'm still surprised you made it on the team." (Kim gave Jessica a quick look.) "Oh, not because you aren't good, come on, Kim you know that. I say that because Bonnie's _older sister_ is the squad captain."

"Oh, for sure," Kim nodded, hiding the relief, "I'm stunned as well. I've gotta admit, it's kind of hard to think I'm not head cheerleader anymore. Now I have to stand out if Lonnie picks me at the end of the year when she graduates. But at the same time, I can't show off or she'll think I'm trying to out-do her."

"Tread carefully," Jessica advised. "It's a fine line there especially when dealing with a Rockwaller."

"Thanks, I will. Talking about Bonnie, is she here? I haven't seen her yet."

"Oh, she's here," Jessica grimaced, "I ran into her awhile back hanging with the older frat boys, naturally."

"Naturally. Whatever, as long as I don't have to deal with her 'tude to-night, I'm _so_ not in the mood."

"Something happen?" Jessica implored, now taking some punch for herself, "Or just the usual homework stressing blues?"

"The usual. And just… going back to normal after break, that's all. Getting used to everything again, really. I just want to sit back and enjoy it, let's leave the Bonnie-stuff til after I'm settled."

"Ohhh," Jessica nodded. "Well I hope to see you around the sorority more, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure, see ya!"

When Jessica had left, Kim finished pouring Ron's drink (taking a sip first to test that it hadn't been spiked) and picked up her own going back to the games room where he was, hopefully, winding up his game of billiards with the boys. It looked like it since there weren't many balls left on the table.

"Here," Kim said as she handed Ron his drink.

"Oo, thanks, KP."

She froze, looking at a paper plate on the table next to him. "Is that yours?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ron looked at the plate she was pointing to; it had three slices of pizza and two single crusts. "Yea, that's mine, you can have one if you want," he replied, his mind elsewhere. "Hang on, Kimbo, I'm up next and if I can shoot that ball right there…"

Kim watched Ron take aim as she picked up a slice of his pizza for herself. Whenever she found him near a large plate of food, she unwillingly felt her adrenaline rise within her. They still had their squabbles of course, those could never be avoided entirely, but at least he was listening and sincerely doing his best. She didn't know what it was like exactly for Ron, but he had been bulimic for years now and she supposed just ceasing the habit at the drop of a hat wasn't possible even if Kim thought it should be.

Other than the occasional spats about his bulimia when he forgot or gave in to the urge and Kim had to talk to him, everything was smooth sailing since all the turbulence they had left behind last year.

Kim still remembered the poignant time in their lives; it had been on her own birthday when he had come to see her, noticing how upset she had been for the past weeks, he had come to confront her. It was there on her bed while they talked (and yelled) where she had admitted she was in love with him then he too told her her love went both ways. It was because she truly loved him, and he her, he would do his best to eventually overcome his health issue. She recalled him being stunned when she had expressed in such an emotional distress that she loved him. And then… he had replied with the same then after that … Even as Kim stood, finishing off the pizza slice watching Ron right in front of her laugh at some frat boy's joke… she still shivered and smiled when she recalled him _forgiving_ her.

That had been truly necessary for them to move on since what had happened in the Autumn after their hands had been detached two years ago (had it really been _that_ long ago now?) when their friendship had been torn apart. And not just to move on from _that _entire fiasco, but, it was hard to see it then but now it was perfectly clear, to _understand_ and be able to _accept_ and be _comfortable_ with their new feelings for one another after being nothing but the best of friends for years previously.

Through everything that had happened to them, the ups and, oh yes, the many downs included, it expressed the strength of their bond and awakened them to realise exactly _how_ much they loved one another for there was no mistake—no infatuation with a friend that could be a one-time thing; that it was one-hundred percent real, true, love.

Not that Kim would have ever wanted to go through those times again, but she had to admit to herself, it had been needed. Even the worst events in ones life can bring new opportunities.

"Done yet?" Kim called, picking up a second slice.

"Just this one last shot…" Ron replied as he steadied himself.

"More to the left, Ron," Kim replied with a sigh.

"Hey, Kim," Ron replied. "I think I can do this on my own. It's just a simple case, speaking a little seriously…"

Kim shook her head and turned away from the shame of what was about to happen. There went the sound of the cue stick hitting the ball, she heard it rolling, hit another ball and then…

"Aww!"

"Woo! You lost, Ron!"

"But… No fair!"

Kim turned around again to witness the train wreck atop the billiard table. Smirking, she took a bite from the pizza.

"You should have listened to your girl, there," the guy went on.

Ron scowled and handed over his cue stick. "Yea, whatever," he muttered and slunk away with Kim, hands in his pockets.

"Oh, come on, Ron," Kim patted his shoulder as she walked with him. "Don't be so sour! You were never good at billiards anyway. Remember that time when we were undercover at that club and," (Kim started bursting into giggles, Ron shot her a look) "And you totally—"

"Yea, yea, Kim. I do remember that, thanks."

"Hey, I know what'll take your mind off the game."

"And what's that?" Ron asked. "Oh! Food!" and he dashed away from Kim over to the refreshment table to help himself.

"Augh." Kim blew some strands of air from her face. "I meant _dancing_," she snorted when she walked up to him, eyeing everything he piled onto his plate critically.

"Sure, that too" Ron grinned, "We can do that too." He turned around, looking back into the games room as the guys began a new game. Suddenly, Ron stumbled and gave a gasp. "Felix!"

"What?" Kim asked, trying to see what Ron was. And then there, by the sofa in the corner of the games room was Felix Renton, Ron's friend since late High School; his only real guy friend. Kim wondered what Ron's wheelchair friend was doing at this frat party since he actually attended a Technology Institute. His school was located in Tri-city as well, but was a little bit of a drive.

"Mm, how about after some game play though, huh? Felix emailed me and said he'd come by! Didn't think he made it though. We haven't hit the consoles since, like, Summer!"

"I'd rather skip that," Kim replied, a little monotonous.

"Hokay then, Kimilicious, gimme an hour for gameage?"

"_Fiiiine_. NO. Half an hour."

"That's not long enough! Twenty minutes!"

"Done!" Kim smirked and watched Ron walk away smugly with the pile of snacks on his plate to join his pal in the gaming room. "Ron was never good at numbers," she mumbled to herself and walked through the crowd wondering what to do for the next twenty minutes.

The only female 'friend' Kim had at Tri-city was Jessica and Marcella. Although they hanged out on occasion back in High School, in was mainly because they were doing cheer squad related activities. Although the girls were always friendly with Kim, they were never tight. Kim's only female friend during Middleton High had been Monique. Kim slumped against a wall, crossing her arms. But Monique had gone to Upperton's Institute of Fashion Design and the only contact they had now was through electronic means.

There were a few other students at Tri-city from Middleton High, but none of them she had ever gotten to know. Ron was the only person she had here and even though Kim felt comfortable with letting him have his own time, she still felt a little sore inside. Without Ron, she had no-one.

Kim glanced at her wristwatch and grimaced. Not even two minutes had gone by! Disgusted, she pushed off from the wall and walked into the next room where she finally spotted Bonnie.

"Oh, ew," Kim muttered under her breath. It had been _hell_ to know that Bonnie would be here as well. Then the rotten girl had to make the team _and_ join the sorority! "Think I'll take _another_ path." So Kim turned straight around but was too slow.

"Oh _there_ you are, K."

Kim felt her shoulders become rigid as she forced a smile on her face then turned around to face Bonnie. "Hello, _Bonnie_."

"I didn't think I'd see _you_ here to-night," Bonnie remarked, tossing some hair over her shoulder. "I haven't seen you around in awhile, actually. Lonnie might have removed you from the squad by now."

"Thanks for your _concern_, B.," Kim retorted, her nose wrinkling by just _being_ in Bonnie's presence. "But I don't have any worries about being removed—she knows I'm too good to pass up."

Bonnie let out a haughty remark. "I _don't_ think so. She'd be glad to kick you off at the next meet and I'll be there to laugh when you get the boot. You're just an embarrassment to the squad by having that loser follow you around like a shadow. I thought you might have gotten rid of him by now and moved on to a new hoe. Come on, Kim, you're in _University_ now." She smirked, "Time to grow up and get a _real_ man."

Kim was silent for a moment as she glared with hatred into Bonnie's eyes. The rage she felt inside was clouding her brain to make any immediate retort. "And I thought you would have grown out of being such a pain and have gotten a _real_ attitude. But I see you're just as childish as ever, talking to you is like talking to a two year old."

"I liked it better when you _weren't_ around," Bonnie spat.

"Me too!" Kim snapped, "I didn't have to look at _you_."

"You'll regret saying that," the tanned girl snarled, "My big sister's the team captain and if I even so much as _think_ for you to be off the team, it'll be done."

"Last time I was at your house, Lonnie didn't seem too interested in listening to anything that came out of your yappy-trap."

Bonnie's hands clenched into fists, shaking at her side. "_I'm_ going to be squad captain when Lonnie graduates this year!"

"Only because you'll go crying to Mommy like when Lonnie originally didn't want you on the squad! _Because you weren't good enough. _"

"Aergh!" Bonnie stamped her foot and bit her lower lip in frustration. "Forget it! I'll see you on Monday. And you better not bring your toy with you or I might get my _boyfriend_ to deal with him." With a final stamp of her foot, Bonnie shoved by Kim roughly, reaching for her cell phone in her purse as she went.

Kim winced. _Might have lost it there, Possible. From what I've picked up, Lonnie doesn't gave a darn who's on the team as long as they're _good_ so I should be safe. But if Bonnie starts complaining to her Mom like she did when Lonnie originally rejected her, Lonnie might have no choice. Well… what's done is done, not like I'm going to go apologising to Bonnie, hah!_

Shrugging, Kim decided she was done with just walking aimlessly from room to room. It might not have quite been twenty minutes yet, but she would rather sit and watch Ron blasting zombies in complete boredom than be Bonnie-bait.

Peering into the game room, she spotted Ron's blonde head bobbing up and down from behind a chesterfield in front of the television. Sighing, she forced her legs forwards. She leaned against the sofa as she stared at the tv for a couple of moments. It wasn't zombies this time, it was a car racing game of some kind.

"What place are you in?"

Ron leapt out of his seat and his virtual car swerved from left to right, crashing into other virtual cars. "Kim! Don't sneak up on me like that." Sticking his tongue out, Ron toggled the analogue stick violently until he regained control of his car and was surfing smoothly down the street. "Don't tell me it's be twenty minutes already."

"No, I just came to join."

"Oh… but…" Ron swerved around a sharp corner. "There isn't enough controllers left, Kim…"

"No, I mean just sit and watch."

Ron risked a quick worried look at Kim. "You don't have to, y'know. I'm not, like, I'm not… hang on… last leg here!" Kim sighed.

"Booyah! Fifth place!" Ron cheered, "Better than last time! Yeah, anyway," Ron craned his neck to look up at Kim. "I'm not, like, _Josh_ or anything. You're not expected to sit quietly next to me all the time."

"Ha!" Kim barked a laugh, "Like you could make me by force! I came because I _wanted_ to."

"Not there!" Ron said and blocked Kim from squeezing herself onto the end of the chesterfield. "Not between the Ron-Man and his snacks. Here," he patted the free space on his left, "You can sit by me here."

Ron was too busy selecting his new car for the next track to notice Kim's doubtful look cross her face as she took her seat next to him. It really was a little compressed on the sofa; Kim looked down the row to see who else was there. Surprised, not only did she see Felix in his chair at the other end, but on the sofa next to him was Zita. Kim didn't recall where Zita had gone next, but maybe it had been the same as Felix. The two had been a couple at the end of High School and even went to the prom together. Kim gave a small giggle, they were really a good match after all.

Next to Kim was some other guy she didn't know and didn't feel comfortable sitting so close, especially when he stared her up and down when she took her seat. She moved closer towards Ron instead and leaned against him, her legs folded up in front of her.

As the countdown began for the next race to start, Ron sent Kim a smile mistaking her moving close not to get away from the person on her other side but as to actually move closer to him. She felt him snuggle closely to her and Kim felt that maybe sitting here wouldn't be so bad after all.

In the end, Kim allowed Ron an actual forty minutes of game-time total instead of the planned twenty. To her disbelief, she actually found enjoyment in sitting close to him and watching, she even found herself wrapped up in Ron's game and cheered him on. Somewhere within those minutes, she linked her arms around Ron's and squeezed him tightly when he was nearing the end of the finish line and actually came in first place!

"Hey, maybe you _are_ a good luck charm!" Ron grinned enthusiastically at Kim, placing the controller in his lap.

Kim laughed, "Maybe I am! Maybe my can-do-anythingness rubbed off onto you."

Ron opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead shut his mouth, turning to look at his full results with a wry smile like he was keeping a secret to himself. Kim shook her head and clapped when the game did a little replay of Ron's win.

"Alright, Kim," Ron said, leaning back in his seat. "I said we could go and dance after this, so aryuready?"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Kim said, heaving herself from her seat. Standing up, she waved to Felix and Zita who returned the wave. Kim noticed from the corner of her eye, the boy who she had been sitting next to give her another look at her bare midriff. "Let's go, Ron," she replied a little dryly and once again linked her arms around his. But when she turned her head to look back at that guy, her eyes landed onto his paper plate instead—his _empty_ paper plate.

Ron, oblivious, bounced out of her arms and towards the room where students were dancing.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Kim said, raising her voice over the loud music as she ran up to him on the floor.

"What's that?" Ron asked, all a-grin as he began to get in the groove with the music.

"That party, years ago. I saw you on dancing on the floor with Tara. In October the year before last."

Instantly Kim noticed Ron fall out of sync with the beats and look slightly discomforted. She continued to sway to the music. "I saw you dancing with her and I was sitting on the sofa with Josh, remember?"

Like she had to ask. "Yeah, I remember that."

"When I sat there, you know what I was thinking?"

"Not really," Ron flushed, trying his best to throw himself back into the music, but he faltered here and there.

"I was jealous. I wanted to be out there dancing with you, not sitting with Josh. I wanted Tara next to him and me next to you."

Now that smile returned to Ron's face and he once again swung to the beats vigorously. "Then we can show that memory a thing or two, huh?" Reaching out, he grabbed Kim's hand buoyantly and swung with her to-and-fro wildly. Blushing Kim tried to match his steps, she was slightly embarrassed and holding back. Yet at the same time, she wanted to be as bold as he was.

Soon, Kim caught on and forgot all about being embarrassed. Kim began to laugh as she danced with Ron carelessly. "Yea, Ron! Let's dance this night away!"

Ron united in Kim's laughter, taking her hand again and delving the both of them deeper into the dance floor where they lost themselves to time in their shared rhythm in perfect sync.

The time that passed really was unknown to Kim. Could it have been hours when the two finally eased their way out of the dance floor? Kim couldn't believe she could have danced for hours but who knew and who really cared.

_That's the dance Ron and I should have had all those years ago_, she thought to herself as she smiled breathlessly at Ron who guided her over to a nearby sofa chair. _He really _is_ a bon diggity dancer and I'm the only one who'll ever dance with him anymore._ She couldn't help but think that last bit a tad smugly to herself.

Ron flopped into the seat and Kim perched herself on the arm of the sofa. Together, they sat, catching their breaths and cooling down. Kim felt a little sweaty and pushed some hair on her forehead back.

"That was… totally fun," Ron said, fanning himself with a hand. "Not that embarrassing after all, huh?" he teased.

Kim waved him off, "Sure, sure. I'm going to go get a drink of punch to cool down. Want one?"

"Please and thank-you," Ron said, mimicking one of Kim's family catch-phrases.

"I'll be right back," she admonished then disappeared.

It didn't take Kim long to come back with two paper cups of punch and return to the sofa-chair. Kim was just taking a swig from the punch when she looked over the cup and froze when saw _no_ Ron. Blinking in confusion, she lowered the cup and stared at the empty chair in front of her.

_Oh, come on, Ron. I _said_ I'd be right back. _Kim looked around and even stood on the tips of her toes to see if he was just mingling in a crowd somewhere. Then... there! She _just_ saw the top of a blonde head disappear around the corner and into a hallway. Groaning, Kim jogged to catch up with him.

When she rounded the corner, Ron turned around and she realised that… it wasn't Ron. She stood there stupidly staring at the guy, not even noticing her. Frowning, Kim stood with the two cups in her hand. So… where did he _go_?

Looking all around as she wandered, Kim continued down the hallway looking for him even though she had no real evidence that he had even come this way to begin with. She was about to turn and head back when two girls walked by and she caught a snippet of their conversation and it was all she needed:

"You know it's time to leave when you walk in the bathroom and there's a boy throwing up the night's alcohol."

In a flash, Kim ran to the nearest bathroom, the punch in Ron's cup spilling onto the carpet in her flee. She couldn't be _sure_ it was Ron, but the night was still young and the alcohol vomiting usually went on in the _early_ morning.

_And Ron had a lot to eat to-day too! Did he _know_ he was going to do this!_ She couldn't help but feel a moments rage towards Ron. Reaching the bathroom she listened in and concentrated, and yes, there were the sounds of coughing and… gagging and… Kim pulled back, repulsed, _vomiting_. It was strange, but Kim could even tell it was Ron by his coughing.

Kim sighed heavily, knowing that on the other side of the door, Ron was making himself vomit. She shook her head to herself, knotting her brow. What hurt her even more was that he had purposefully slipped away from her, _intending_ to deceive her. Of course Ron had not stopped vomiting up his food entirely but it was something the two of them were working on _together_, without doctors. She knew he wouldn't be perfect yet, but still, the disappointment whenever she caught him came in the form of a large pit in her stomach.

Casting her head away, Kim was going to place the paper cups down, knock on the door and step inside to stop him from vomiting any further when she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. Immediately, she let out an estranged cry of shock and dropped the cups of punch when she turned around and found herself face to face with someone.

Kim placed a hand to her heart and gasped. Looking up at the large man, she recognised him; he was the star football quarterback at Tri-City University. In the past, he had often taken the time after games, or before, to have a quick chat with Kim.

"Didn't mean to startle you," he grinned, "Don't worry about the stains. We'll get the janitor to soak that up. There'll be plenty more stains all over the place to-night. You know, I was wondering if you'd make it to the party."

"Uh, yea," Kim said, her eyes darting back to the bathroom door where Ron was. Nervous, she took the massive arm of the football player and led him down and out of the hallway and into the next room, away from Ron. She didn't notice the pleased look on his face.

"So, um, what were you saying?" Kim asked, shaking her head. The jock opened his mouth to talk but Kim didn't soak in a word he was saying, her eyes darted anxiously behind her, thinking of Ron behind the door.

Inside, she was cursing herself for not being able to stop Ron. She'd just have to rely on Ron to make the decision.

Unfortunately, Ron had made the decision, but not the one Kim was hoping for. Inside the bathroom door, Ron had finished bringing up the pizzas, chips, punch and even the Chinese take-away from earlier that day. A mint was in his mouth to freshen his breath as he stared at his reflection sorrowfully in the mirror.

Ron didn't know how to describe it, but he felt _bad_ for what he had just done. He knew Kim was relying on him, he knew how concerned she was and even though Ron knew of all that before coming in to vomit, he had done it regardless. And so now the guilt washed over him and the wish for taking back his actions was present in his mind.

He had tried so hard since September to stop himself; he had popped his prescribed pills never breaking the dosage-amount on the container to help him. Ron had even gone weeks without vomiting and how proud had Kim been then! But then there was the time here and there where he gave in. He couldn't help it, it wasn't always something he could control. The last time Ron had brought up his food, was before Christmas Break. He hadn't told Kim about that, the guilt too immense, and he didn't plan on telling Kim about this one either. It wasn't that he was trying to trick her into believing that he wasn't vomiting, it was because he was afraid of Kim's disappointment in him.

"I'm trying," Ron whispered to his reflection, his own melancholy eyes revealing him the secret judgement within. "I really am." He sighed and hung his head, sweeping his arms off the counter and behind his back. Still depressed with himself, Ron opened the bathroom door and merged himself with the party atmosphere again, no-one taking the slightest of notice of him.

Pushing his way through the crowd from his trip, he scanned the sea of students for Kim's distinctive red hair; her hair length and style never changed since high school. There! A weak smile spread on Ron's face when he spotted the back of her head. Eagerly, he pushed his way through the crowd when he suddenly drew back.

Hiding behind a throng of people chatting and not even recognising him, he spotted Kim, but it wasn't her he was cautious of. Standing right close to her and chatting with her was none other than the lead football star, although Ron knew him more as the head of the fraternity. Ron narrowed his eyes at him as he watched Mr Big-Shot lean on the bookcase, it kind of looked to Ron as if he was leering over Kim.

She didn't seem perturbed though, or even if she noticed like Ron had. Couldn't she see he was _totally_ hitting on her?

Mostly Ron side-stepped the large man around the fraternity, and the star of campus mainly ignored Ron, in fact, Ron didn't even think the guy would remember his name. _No wait, bad example,_ Ron corrected himself, no-one_ remembers my name._ Even if the football star barely took any notice of Ron around the fraternity, he most certainly took notice of Kim during the games where Kim was a cheerleader.

After games or before hand, Ron was in the seats to watch Kim cheer, to be there to support her. He'd grin and wave back to her as she waved to him from on the field— she absolutely delighted to have him there. But Ron would never miss that jock talking to her like now. That guy obviously had a thing for Kim.

Ron had never brought it up to Kim, there had never really been much time and Ron thought it might have stopped, but here that guy was, his eyes looking quite eager as he looked down at her.

It made Ron grimace. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Kim, he did. She had been nothing but faithful ever since they announced their love for enough last March, at least, that's what Ron thought. No, it wasn't her. It was _him_ he didn't trust.

But what could Ron do? _I can't go barrelling in there and yapping at the dude to back off. One: Kim would probably kill me out of embarrassment but Two: he'd beat me to a pulp! That and I'd be totally kicked out of the frat. Then KP would have to deal with the ridicule of loving a non-frat boy… _Ron looked to his shoulder for advice only to realise that Rufus was not there. Ron hung back, still indecisive on what to do.

The jock leaned tilted forwards more and Ron noticed Kim take a slight, and barely visible step backwards as she continued to smile and talk to him. Then she laughed as if he had said something funny and Ron felt himself decrease in size. _C'mon, Kim, kick his butt or something… What are you doing? Can't you tell he's totally got it in for you? Maybe she's waiting for me! Or… I dunno_… Again, a look to his shoulder for an answer but none was to be offered.

Suddenly, Kim began to nod more and Ron spotted Kim backing away from him. She held up and finger and took more steps away. She was making her get away. The jock, shrugged and waved her good-bye. Kim turned and dashed into a nearby crowd. As Ron pushed his way through to meet up with her, he noticed her look around herself, maybe looking for him. She looked like she was going to go into the hallway Ron had just come from when he caught up with her.

"Hey."

Startled, Kim turned around, and took a closer look. "There you are," it was so difficult for her to keep the ice out of her voice. She wasn't sure if she should say she found him out now or later that night. "When I came back with the drinks, you were gone."

"Sorry about that," he mumbled.

Kim picked up on his apparent agitation. It was obvious he was covering up. "Well, here's your cup," and she handed it to him.

"Thanks," he took a sip. "I, uh, actually would have come up to you sooner. But…"

"But what?"

"I saw you with him."

"Huh? Oh, yea, so?"

"So you were talking to him," Ron shrugged.

Kim raised her eyebrows and looked at Ron, a slight smile spreading on her face as she began to understand. "Ron," Kim nearly laughed, "You're not… _jealous_, are you?"

"What!" Ron yelped. He took Kim by Kim's other shoulder and steered her out of the room hastily. "Me? Jealous? Pfft nooo, heck nooo…"

"Ron, you're so jellin'!" Kim crossed her arms, refusing to be lead away any further. "I can see it on your face."

"Huh?" Ron began nervously touching his face as if the word 'jealousy' was actually written on his face in ink. "No it's not…"

Kim sighed with a smile. "Oh, Ron," she shook her head, "I can take care of myself. I know that guy has a thing for me."

"You _knew_!"

"Of course! A girl always knows these things. I mean, did you _see_ the way he was leaning in on me like that? Had to arch my back backwards like the leaning Tower of Pisa!"

"I saw! It was like he was gonna get on with you right there," he grumbled.

"So you noticed too. And you were jealous. Just admit it!"

"Why should I be jealous!" Ron countered hastily, feeling the heat. "C'mon, you know I trust you… and you trust me. We're fine, we always will be, right?"

"You remember that." Now Kim took Ron's arm and guided him through the rooms and outside onto the back porch. Into a corner they went and Kim sat on the banister, Ron dropping himself into a white, old, wooden chair next to her.

"We both know how hard we worked to be together," Kim said, lowering her voice.

Ron looked around and saw a small group of people on the other end and more people scattered all throughout the backyard. Laughter could be heard and smoke could be seen lifting into the night's air. It was a touch chilly out and Ron shivered in his short-sleeved t-shirt. Even with the distant sounds of laughter, chatter and music from inside, it still felt oddly silent. Again, Ron found himself with Kim, apart of the world and yet the both of them so distant from everything surrounding them. No matter where they were, he always felt like they were in a world of their own. That they were on a higher level than anyone else, or maybe it was a lower one. Whichever it was, it was just the _two_ of them.

Ron looked up at Kim again, leaning his head against the chair. "Really hard," he whispered back. "Man, even if it's dawning on a year, I still remember it all so well: the cry-fests, the arguments… the emotions. It was crazy."

"But here we are."

"And here we'll stay."

There was a brief silence as the two soaked in the night atmosphere, ignoring the cold and sounds around them as they often did when sitting together.

"I think what we have is special," Kim commented, breaking the silence.

Ron snorted a laugh, "Yea? Special Ed?"

"No," Kim snapped, "Like… Look at those people over there."

Ron followed Kim's finger and saw a couple on the far edge of the backyard, standing awfully close together and talking, drinks in hand.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Kim said softly.

"I don't," Ron replied. "Why should we care? Just some gushy stuff, probably."

"Yea," Kim nodded, still observing the couple, "Gushy stuff maybe, but look at them. They look like they like each other a lot, right?"

Ron gave Kim a 'are you right in the head?' look and glanced back at the couple before resting that same crazy-gaze at Kim. "Probably."

Kim tilted her head, never removing her eyes from the couple. "I think they do. And yet… there's so much lacking."

Ron snorted, "And how can you tell? Are we psychic to-day?"

"Noooo," Kim scolded, "I just look at them, then I think of us and we're so different from them. They're like a normal, average couple you see walking hand-in-hand around campus, or whatever. They're close and their relationship is built only on the romance they have for one another. They haven't been through what we have to be together. I look at them standing their and there's nothing between them, sure, they like each other. But for how long, do you think? It just seems so… phoney."

"So?"

"So I'm glad we're not like that. Can you imagine… say we never had that big blow up after our hands detached." (Ron shifted himself cautiously.) "Remember what we were like on the bed?"

"Heh, yea."

"I worry we might have ended up like them."

"Oh… Huh?"

"It would have ruined our friendship. That's what my parents were worried about, but they didn't know everything that was happening between us. I think if all of that drama didn't happen, we wouldn't be like how we are now."

"And what's that?" Ron prodded, leaning back with his arms behind his head.

Kim again tilted her head, truly pondering an answer to Ron's question over in her mind. "Together," she concluded.

"Together," repeated Ron, "I like that. Yea, no, I get what you mean. We're not all, like… mushy all the time, that's what you mean, right?"

Kim nodded, "And I like that."

"But…" Ron eyed her from the corner of her eyes. "You do like it when we are… on occasion. Right?"

Again, Kim nodded, her eyes still on the couple as Ron leaned back again with a satisfactory grin on his face.

"If it was," Kim added, her voice barely a whisper, "I think we would have lost our friendship, buried by… that," she pointed once more to the couple.

Silence.

"That'd suck."

Kim laughed softly, "Yes, it would have."

After another passage of comfortable silence, Ron said, "I like just hanging with you. You're like… bon diggity."

Kim leaned against the house, a hand folded on one knee. "Um, thanks, I guess. I am in love you though," Ron turned to look at her again. "So don't worry about that jock, okay? I can deal with him. Besides, I don't want him hurting you or anything."

Ron gave a short, course laugh. "What's the point of having that extra 'togetherness' if I can't stand up for you like any normal guy, h'm?"

Kim laughed, amused, "Because you're a skinny little pip-squeak compared to him."

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed, "Thanks a lot!"

"But I like you that way!" Kim countered, "Very huggable."

"Well, I guess that's an equal trade. But, hey, only if you throw in, 'irresistibly handsome' and 'downright studly'."

"Ha! Don't push your luck!"

Ron scowled playfully and Kim continued to chuckle which eventually turned into a small giggle-fit as she continued to think about such a thing. It made Ron grin to know that he could make laugh genuinely and not outbursts of fake-laughter like that jock.

"I'm pretty much done with the partying, I think," Ron stated after their laughter had subsided. This talk with Kim had eased him into a mellow mood, a similar mood he was in when usually snuggling up with Kim under the covers in her dorm room. Feeling the cold out here increased that urge to warm up with her in his arms and underneath a blanket "Why don't we take a walk back to your—"

"There you are!"

Both Kim and Ron's heads swivelled abruptly when another voice other than their own broke its way into their small corner of the world. Both of their hearts leaping out of their chests, neither were put at ease when they saw Mr Big-Shot Kim had been talking to previously.

"Oh, hi," Kim spluttered, attempting to sit up right. "You scared us."

Ron at that moment wished he was invisible.

"I was looking for you inside," he said, "Didn't finish talking to you." That smirk on his face didn't relieve either of them as well.

"O-Oh?"

"A-actually," Ron said, making the (what he hoped wasn't stupid) decision to actually speak up since he was there and all. "We were just about to leave. Uh, great party though!"

The jock gave him an obscure look. "Do I know you?" he asked, "I think I've seen you around."

"Uh, you probably have." Ron's voice was growing in pitch as his nervousness increased.

"He _bothering_ you?" he asked Kim, jabbing a finger at Ron who gave an incredulous look.

"No!" Kim slid off the banister, shaking her hands insistently. "No, no! He's not. He's with me."

The jock appeared shocked. He looked from Kim, then at Ron and back again. "Brother? Cousin? You don't have to hang with him, you know. Here," and both Kim and Ron's eyes widened as far as they could go when the jock reached out and wrapped an arm around Kim, pulling her away from Ron. "You can come and hang with me and my pals. Some of your fellow cheer girls are there. It'll save you from the boredom, I promise."

"_Maybe_," Kim jerked herself out of his hold and Ron knew that flash of fire burn behind Kim's emerald eyes. He'd seen it before and knew all too well the wrath it could tear up. "I'm _not_ bored. _Maybe_ I _like_ being with him."

The jock laughed, "Are you kidding?"

"No. Come on, Ron," Kim growled, motioning for Ron to follow. "Let's head back to my place."

"Now _wait_ right there!" The jock bellowed as Ron pushed himself from his seat. As soon as he shouted, everyone's attentions rested on the three of them. Even some of those from inside the house were now peering out the window. " 'Head back to my place'? Did you just, like, turn _me_ down for _that_?" he thrust a finger at Ron.

Kim twirled around, her jaw dropped.

"You're a _cheerleader_, he's _that_ and I'm the _star_ of the football team. Which one of these _doesn't_ belong, huh?"

Kim's hands were now on her hip. Ron shook his head, trying to ease himself away. That was _not _the right thing to say. When Kim unleashed her fury, he did _not_ wanna be near that guy.

Taking a few steps forwards, the jock leaned forwards and whispered in Kim's ear so everyone else wouldn't be able to hear. "And what more, I'm a _senior_ and if Lonnie tells me right, _you're_ a freshman. You should be _flattered_," he hissed and placed a large hand on Kim's hip.

Kim's response was a straight-out slap across the jock's face._ Everyone_ gasped.

"Ouch," Ron whispered to himself, touching his own cheek where Kim had struck him years ago. "I know that."

"_Don't_ invade my personal space," Kim spat. "And _don't_ you _dare _diss Ron. I'm absolutely _sick _of it. Sick of you, sick of Bonnie. It's like I'm still in High School for crying out loud, why can't you all go out and buy yourselves a little maturity?"

Ron sucked in his breath as he waited for the Jock to react, not just Ron, but it seemed the entire party-house (those that were watching) had stopped breathing. The only sounds were those coming from deep within the house and were unaware to the drama that was happening in the backyard. The only one who appeared to be calm was Kim.

The Jock's eyes moved and swept the entire scene, taking in everyone's reaction. Finally, he responded.

"I feel sorry for you," he said, a grin crossing his face. Kim's eyes instantly narrowed with further suspicion. "You've been stuck with this little guy for so long, you don't know what it's like to be with a _real_ man. Hey, I can't blame you, it's like you've been brainwashed, right? But then, I can't expect you to agree to that."

No-one said anything.

"But here, I'll help reset your mind." Kim's eyes flashed open the instant, the Jock's heavily muscled arm snapped our and seized Ron's shirt, bringing him close. The action was fast, but so many events followed:

The Jock laughed, his right arm winding backwards to throw a punch right into Ron's face. The impact would be shattering, Ron knew this, but there was nothing he could do so he turned his head away as far as he could. Inside, he deeply wished something would stop that fist from smashing his skull, he wasn't afraid of being killed, he had eight extra lives left, it was more the _pain_ that terrified the hell out of him.

And something _did_ prevent that fist from blowing throw Ron's head. It was Kim, she was lightning quick; right when the fist was mere inches from Ron's face, she sliced out with a wind-blowing high kick right in the Jock's stomach. The blow sent him tumbling backwards, gripping his stomach as he gasped for air.

Ron fell to the ground with a thud, looking around and utterly bewildered. Then he was brought to his feet by Kim.

"We're leaving _now_," Kim whispered to Ron in a hurried voice as they fled down the patio steps.

From behind, they could still hear the Jock gasping for air. When he regained some breath, his voice broke through the night sky and the surrounding silence:

"I'LL GET YOU, THAT— YOU—YOU GUY WHOSE NAME I FORGET. SHE'S _MINE_!"

Ron should have been absolutely petrified yet, with his hand in Kim's who was leading him down the street, her laughter backing up his own, somehow, he wasn't scared in the least. Not with Kim's hand in his, forever.

Leaving behind the cries, the shouts, the gasps, the noises, the smells, Kim lead Ron through the night, the two of them running side by side. The only sounds now were their breathing. Ron knew they were heading back to her dorm where they would hopefully be safe—and as Kim said: once again, the two would be wrapped in their own little world. The two of them close for the night, that's what Ron desired.

Laughing, Kim and Ron bounded up with stairs of the sorority, still hand in hand and ran up to Kim's door. They struggled to hold their giggles for there were some girls of the sorority that _hadn't_ gone to the party and were probably sleeping at this hour. The laughter subsiding, Kim lightly leaned her forehead against Ron's while they quieted down.

Kim sighed, and rested her head on Ron's shoulder. "That guy is _such_ a loser! I can't believe he said those things to us! Wow, I just…" she gave a few giggles, "What a loser…" Kim laughed again and nestled her head on Ron.

Swinging her hands lightly in his as he dipped his head close to hers, he gave a laugh or two. His was a little more on the apprehensive side seeing as how it was almost he who lost a life

"Well thanks for saving my face back there. It wasn't _that_ funny for me, you know he's going to kill me when I go back there."

"What do you have to worry about? You have all the lives under your belt. Oh, but no, really, you can just move in with me. You practically have anyway." Kim added with a yawn. "Oh, my! What time is it anyway? It's so late, I better head to bed. We still… have…" Another large yawn she covered with her hand. "Homework to-morrow. And that exam to study for. We have to be well rested or nothing will stick in our heads… Ron..?"

Covering yet another yawn, Kim closed her eyes, feeling the weariness begin to overcome her in a wave again. She smiled when she felt Ron give her a small kiss on her cheek.

"Good-night, Ron… see you to-morrow…" she murmured and returned the small kiss.

Ron laughed and nuzzled her. "Yea, yea, sure," and he leaned in to present her another kiss, then a few more. "Let's just go, I'm tired of standing out here."

"Oh."

" 'Oh' what?" Ron asked softly as he continued to deliver her kisses.

"Ron… I… I'm sorry. You thought you were bunking here to-night again?"

Again, Ron laughed, amused. "Of course," he replied and nuzzled her again with strong affection. "Why wouldn't I?" Then, for extra persuasion, just in case the 'of course' wasn't enough, he leaned forwards again and kissed her with tongue.

Kim bristled and pulled away, blushing fiercely. "No, Ron. Y-you know you can't."

"Huh? You know I mean sleeping here and maybe," he pulled her a little closer, "A few snuggles. That's all."

She held his hands tightly in hers. "That's not what I mean. Ron… Y-you know the Rules…"

Ron's eyes lit up and he pulled away in a flash. "What rules?" he asked hastily. "What do you mean 'rules'? Ok, KP, this isn't funny anymore. It's late, I'm tired, I ate way too much no-energy foods and now I'm feeling the crash—"

"I know you had a lot of food, Ron."

Ron stood there blinking stupidly. But Kim had the inclination that he knew what she was talking about.

Her eyes darted away as she said in a very low voice. "I saw you doing it again. You know, your bulimia…" Then her eyes flashed and she looked directly into Ron's. "I can't believe you thought you could get away with that behind my back! You _know_ I don't like that, you _know_ you're not supposed to and… and I feel so… so _lied_ to!"

"Kim, Kim…" Ron again swayed her hands in his, "Calm down. You're over-reacting a bit, you're tried and you're freaking over the small stuff again…"

But Kim was shaking her head and she said gently, "No, Ron. I'm sorry… you know our Rules or you'll never learn."

"But I can't go back there," Ron replied, his voice rising with distraught. "Where am I to go? Kim, you gotta make a special allowance for this or something. Hey, remember when we were on the porch?" Kim cast her head away in shame but Ron daringly brought it forwards, her chin in his hands. "Remember what you were saying about 'us'?" He nuzzled her cheek and he felt her lean into him, returning the affection. "Let's just go and be us in there, kay?"

He skimmed her cheek with the back of a finger and he felt her lean into his arms. Slipping an arm around her waist to hold her, Ron reached for her doorknob with the other to go inside when Kim, still in his arms, leaned away from him. Her eyes held her answer:

"No. You'll thank me eventually."

They stared into one another eyes for the longest time and suddenly Kim threw her arms around Ron's neck and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Ron."

"I forgive you."

"But you can't come in."

"What? I thought you changed your mind!"

Ron felt Kim burying her face in his neck to hide. Her muffled response was still no. When she pulled away, she held his hands in hers and gave them a small squeeze and tried to reassure him with a smile. It didn't work.

"Good-night," she murmured.

"'Night. I guess."

"I'm still in love with you."

Ron turned his head away. "You keep saying that."

"Don't. Don't try and make me feel bad just to get me to change my mind. It won't work."

"I'm not," Ron replied heatedly. "It _hurts_."

"It's just for one night," Kim said, trying to add a small laugh. "You'll be fine."

"Night."

"Good-night," Kim whispered again, touching Ron's cheek.

Parting, she closed the door softly, the door finally separating the two. Kim stared at the closed door and felt a surge inside of her as she felt the emotion rise inside, yelling at her to just throw the door open and allow him inside. But no, she couldn't do that, she had to be consistent and firm.

_Why is this so difficult? It's just one stupid night. He's not gone forever. Why does it hurt? To part from him for such a short time, such a normal time to be apart from someone? _She placed a hand on the door, knowing Ron would still be on the other side, waiting for her to have a change of heart. She remembered what she had just said to him: '_You'll be fine_'.

_But will I? _

-ø-

Rolling over in her bed, Kim opened her eyes in a moment of brief confusion. With her eyes widening, she questioned herself how it was that she could roll from one side of the bed to the other and not hit a Ron. Then her eyes drooped and she came to the realisation that this had been one of those few despondent nights in which he hadn't bunked with her. Yawning, Kim eventually pushed herself up and brushed her hand through her messy hair, sorting out her part as she gave a final sigh.

If only Ron weren't so thick headed! Kim leaned back on her arms as she looked to her window on her left where streams of sunshine were glowing through the cheap, thin curtains. But no, she shouldn't be too rough with him. It was awkward for Kim to put herself in Ron's point of view, but she knew he _was_ trying; they _were_ making progress.

_Okay_, Kim thought to herself as she heaved herself out of bed and over to her bathroom. _Enough mulling, time to get to work; that party didn't do wonders for my study-schedule_.

After Kim finished brushing her teeth and combing her hair, she picked up the Kimmunicator on her dresser where she had placed it the night before. Picking it up, she called Ron's cell number hoping to bribe him over with more Chinese takeaway if he would come and cram with her. Kim had only pressed the Kimmunicator to her ear so she could leave her hands free to fish around for clothes in her drawer when she heard a dual ringing sound coming from somewhere nearby.

"Huh?" In her shock, her shoulder relaxed and the Kimmunicator dropped to the floor and kept _beep-beep beepbeep_ing Ron.

Slightly spooked, Kim pricked her ears for the other ringing sound as she bent down to pick up the fallen Kimmunicator. That was odd. The sound was more audible if she bent down… On her hands and knees, the Kimmunicator in hand, Kim began to crawl around on the floor, searching for the source of the ringing noise. Nope, no-one hiding under the bed, the dresser or in the closet… Clumsily, Kim shuffled around on all fours when she finally inched towards her door where the sound was loudest.

"H'm?" Grunting as she pushed herself up, Kim cautiously opened her front door. (It couldn't be a psycho murderer playing phone-mind-games on her, right? It'd be pretty lame to do that during the day, after all…).

"AAH!"

"Augh!"

"Ron!"

"Kim..?"

"Ergh!" Kim thrust her hands into fists onto her hip and glared down at Ron's head by her feet. "_Ron!_" she declared again. "What are you _doing_ on the _floor_ outside my room, huh?"

Sluggishly, Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell-phone and turned it off. Snorting, Kim shut the Kimmunicator off as well.

"That was a rude awakening," Ron replied grudgingly.

Kim lightly poked Ron with her bare foot. " 'Rude'!" she scoffed, then she double-blinked, suddenly realising. "Wha… you… you don't mean you camped out my door the _whole_ night, did you?" she asked incredulously.

"Where else was I supposed to go?" he asked her as he stood up and brushed himself off.

Kim poked her head out the doorway to see if any of the other girls were watching them. No-one in sight, so Kim grabbed Ron and hauled him inside her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Oh, so _now_ you let me in," Ron snorted and strolled into Kim's room and fell backwards onto Kim's bed.

"You were _supposed_ to go to, um, gee, let me think—your _own_ dorm, Ron!"

"Well…" Ron thought, looking away. "I thought maybe you'd let me back in, just give it time to cool off…"

"I haven't done that before," Kim replied calmly, placing the Kimmunicator next to a sleeping Rufus. "You could have camped out in the sorority lounge if you didn't want to go back to mister I-own-all-women."

"Yea…but this is the first time since—"

"I guess it really doesn't matter," Kim sighed as she began her previously interrupted task of picking out the day's wear.

"How's that?" Ron asked, not caring too much. His attention was on his sleeping mole-rat.

"Homework, duh," Kim replied. She didn't see the cringe on Ron's face when she headed into the bathroom to change.

"I think he's doing worse," Ron said instead, hoping to drive the conversation in a new direction. He reached out and poked Rufus lightly, his whiskers barely gave a twitch. "Did you feed him last night?" Ron called from over his shoulder.

"Yes," came Kim's voice. "And I fed him water through the eye dropper too. He, um… hang on…"

"What's that?"

"Hang on…"

Ron sat up again and placed his hands on his legs, observing Rufus at a distance. Sniffling, he adjusted his glasses on his face and defiantly cast his head away.

Behind him, the doorknob turned and Kim emerged fully dressed in an emerald green top with flared sleeves and dark, stone-wash jeans; in her hands were her pyjamas which she stored back in the drawer.

"I was feeding him the water last night," Kim continued, coming to sit beside Ron on the bed. "He… didn't take the usual number of drops and… he only had one pellet." She reached out to rest a hand on Ron's back.

But he arched his back and snorted. "That's because he doesn't _like_ pellets," Ron replied haughtily, barely able to keep the pain in from his voice. "He should be eating nachos and…"

Ron gave in and dropped his head onto Kim's shoulder. He gave a small sob and allowed Kim to rub his back to soothe him.

"He's gonna die soon," Ron moaned, his voice muffled.

How Kim desperately desired to say: 'No, Ron. Rufus will be okay, he's not going to die'. But that wasn't truthful and Ron knew it deep down inside. Rufus wasn't sick, he wasn't ill, he was old. And old things… well, they passed on. It really was any day of the little rodent now.

Ron lifted his head from Kim's shoulder, he hadn't been crying, but she could see that he could at any moment; they were slightly watered.

"You should think of all the good times you've had with Rufus," Kim suggested quietly. It was really the only positive thing she could think of to say to Ron. Not that it was _that_ comforting.

"Yea…" Ron mumbled, shuffling his feet. "I'm gonna miss him… Kim, I don't wanna get a new pet. I don't want a new mole-rat… It's not going to be the same. It's not gonna be _Rufus_."

"I know…"

"This is stupid."

"Well…" Kim said tentatively. "You know you're allowed to camp here with me when… when, you know—"

"But I always do," Ron replied a little rudely. Kim was a little shocked by his toned, but Ron said again, "Thanks," and she was reassured. He even smiled slightly and Kim gave him another hug.

"Let's do something to take our minds off this. How about that?"

"Sounds fine to me," Ron nodded, "How about I drive us over to Bueno Nacho and we can have some fun there? Haven't gone there in awhile, hah?"

"Well… um, actually… I was thinking something more along the lines of _homework_."

"What!" Ron yelped and edged away from her, "That's not going to help!"

"Sure, it will. You'll be so engrossed in the work that it'll take your mind off things. Homework does that to me."

"Uh, _EW_."

"Hey, wasn't that our deal?" Kim narrowed her eyes at him, hands on her hips. "Didn't I say party last night and study to-day? We agreed on that didn't we?"

"Augh!" Ron flopped backwards onto the bed with a moan of defeat. "This is _not_ fair. I'm upset! You shouldn't be attacking me with ho—augh!"

Ron pushed himself onto his arms and glared at Kim, the textbook she had just tossed onto his stomach cutting him off.

"Fine," he growled, "But I have terms too."

"And what are they?" Kim asked sarcastically, bringing her own books forwards.

"Takeaway?"

Kim threw back her head and laughed, "Agreed!"

So Kim's bed became a table to the textbooks and binders that would be out there well throughout the day. The takeaway arrived, pizza this time, and served as their dinner slash lunch. They didn't say much to one another as they studied, sitting across from one another, their heads were buried in their texts. They only spoke in quiet voices to borrow something or ask a small question. As Kim had predicted, Ron's mind was now worlds away from his dying mole-rat.

They didn't take a single break all afternoon and were now well into the evening. Inwardly, Kim was very proud of Ron for working for so long and diligently for hours. She knew that Ron's marks had dropped in first term and now she was adamant in helping to bring them back up. While studying, Kim would look up at Ron, sometimes with his tongue poking out as he scribbled in his tiny writing in his binder, scratch his head, and use the eraser as his brain worked to comprehend what it was reading.

Even if the two weren't even talking, studying was calming despite the fact that it was difficult material. It was because they were _together_.

"Mmm," Kim cast a hand over her head as she felt the wear finally wash over her. She looked out the window and saw only two stars glimmer in the deep blue sky outside.

"Getting tried?" Ron asked, looking up from his books. He pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"A little," Kim replied, her voice quiet. She tugged her textbook closer to her on her stomach. "We've been at this all day now. Just… need a short break. That's all."

Closing her eyes, she could hear Ron shuffling about and then felt him sliding her textbook from her hold.

"Nooo, I'm just lying down for a second… or two. Give it, I'm not done yet." But she didn't put up a struggle.

She felt Ron snuggle in next to her and one of his arms wrap around her gently. Smiling, she turned into him and allowed him to hold her, both her mind and body wanting to shut down for the night and leave the homework for Sunday.

Opening her eyes, she looked into Ron's and lightly skimmed by the freckles on his cheek with a loving finger. This was the person she adored and desired to be with for the rest of her life—nobody but her and Ron. And what a wonderful feeling that was sent through her when she _knew_ Ron felt the same for her.

Ron leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Sighing underneath, Kim stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Ron's neck and gently pulled him closer. Still attached, they rolled onto their sides and Ron groped behind him blindly for the end of the blanket to stretch across them, wrapping them tightly together.

"I think I'm going to like you staying in my room permanently," Kim whispered. She placed her hands on Ron's chest, her head at the same level.

"Me too," Ron returned, wrapping her closely, still holding onto the blankets. "Hang on," pulling a hand up, he pulled off his glasses awkwardly and leaned over Kim, making her giggle as he placed them on the bed stand. "There, that's better," he purred and nuzzled her.

Kim yawned, "You know this is only a short break, we've got to... to study some more…"

"Too tired," Ron replied, voicing Kim's inner thoughts. "Besides, you always say studying at night is bad, nothing ever sticks in your brain then."

"You're right," Kim chuckled and snuggled closer and breathed in his scent. "Then… maybe just a small nap…" She felt Ron's arms push their way underneath and around Kim's back to hug her close then press his lips against hers. Feeling herself glow inside, she kissed him back.

Kim pulled away, her arms still around Ron's neck as she allowed him to dive in to kiss her softly on her neck. She was blushing ardently and nearly had a spasm attack, Ron too, when the Kimmunicator broke the silence.

"Geesh, thought that was something else," Ron grumbled when he pushed himself off of Kim, it was hard because they were so tightly wrapped against each other in the blankets.

_Beep-beep beepbeep!_ Went the Kimmunicator and Kim groaned with frustration, "Why am I having déjà vu?" She fought to untangle themselves from the blanket and strained to reach for the Kimmunicator. Sitting up on the edge of her bed and rubbing her eyes, she asked, "What's the sitch, Wade?"

Next to her, Ron was sitting himself up too and placing his glasses back on his face so he could see properly.

"Augh, I thought you shut that thing off," Ron grunted. "I thought we were just about to make up for what we missed on last nig—" A rueful punch in the shoulder from Kim as she reached out for the Kimmunicator.

"Hey, Wade!" Kim smiled down at Wade Load, their super-genius pal. "What's the sitch?"

" Mission time!" Wade replied cheerfully. "Winter Break do you good?"

"Definitely," Kim nodded. "Bring it on, we're ready, right Ron?"

"I guess so."

"What's up with him?" Wade asked, trying to peer at Ron from the corner of the screen.

"Um…" Like she was going to say to Wade that it was because Ron was discontent about being interrupted being 'close' with her. "It's the Oleratay Eathday Ingtha—" Kim was never able to finish her Pig Latin because Wade burst out into a round of uncontrollable laughter.

"OH MY!" Wade exploded, pointing at Ron. Wade had to grip onto the keyboard to keep himself from rolling right out of his seat.

Ron shifted himself moodily. "What's he laughing at?"

"You finally got glasses!" Wade cackled, "Man, even _I_ don't need glasses and I'm the one locked in my room always staring at the computer! Hahahaha! You, wow, you never told me this! When did this happen?" Wade wiped a single tear from his eye.

"Yesterday," Ron replied resentfully.

"Oh man… You and glasses… they just… they just don't mix. _At all_."

"HEY!" Ron shot back, now pulling out of his seat.

"Okay, boys, okay…" Kim stretched out a hand to gently lean Ron back onto the bed. "The gigglefest is officially over. Now, Wade, you said you had a mission for the both of us?"

"H'm?" Wade gave a few last chuckles. "Oh, yes, yes I did. There's this top secret lab and—"

"Wait, let me guess," Kim held up a palm, "Something got stolen and it was probably stolen by Drakken and now we have to get it back, right?

"Uh, no."

"No!" Kim and Ron gasped in unison.

"Wow, now we're really shaking it up," Ron remarked, still stunned over the news.

"They're worried about something being stolen, that's why they asked you to come."

Kim frowned, "Wade… I help people but… I… I'm not ready to be hired at some lab as a _security guard_."

Ron snorted in his laughter, "Hey, that's not so bad! You get free doughnuts! Just sit around on your rear and watch TV eating doughnuts. How much do they pay for a job like that?"

Kim rolled her eyes and Wade chuckled. "Actually, Ron, the lab has to shut down their entire security system until four am because the frequency is interfering with some project and while the system is down, they want you to keep watch and make sure no-one steals anything."

"Ohhh," Kim gave Ron a curious look, "I get it. Well, okay... four in the morning is a little pushing it…"

"But it's Sunday to-morrow," Ron prompted. "C'mon, Kim! Think of all the doughnuts! Glazed, jelly filled and ohmigosh! _Sprinkles!_ Oh, Kim, please! _Please!_ I _love_ the little sprinkles on doughnuts," and he gave a high-pitched squeal of delight at the notion of sprinkle-covered doughnuts.

"I don't see why we shouldn't help them," Kim shrugged finally. "Set us up for a ride, Wade?"

"Mr Geminini's jet will be ready to pick you up in five."

"Thanks, Wade! Ok, Ron, time to get our clothes on and get this mission over with."

As Kim walked away to her dresser, Ron couldn't help but mumble to himself: "And I was just hoping we'd finally get our clothes _off_ for _once_."

-ø-

The jet had arrived and left with Kim and Ron onboard. Ron was sitting in the back, already dozing off. In the background, he could hear Kim making polite conversation with Mr Geminini in the cockpit. Yawning, he heard Kim's footsteps coming his way. He opened one eye and saw Kim slip in front of him to the window seat next to Ron.

"Tired?" Kim asked.

Ron nodded, "Is it going to be a long ride?"

"Over an hour," Kim replied, pulling out the Kimmunicator and began clicking away on the internet.

Ron moaned and pushed up the double seat's arm between them so he could nestle his head on Kim's legs as he lay down. Kim patted his head blindly

"Maybe you should catch some sleep," Kim offered quietly, her eyes not leaving the Kimmunicator. "I can wake you when we get there."

"Thanks," came his mumbled, whispered response.

Shuffling onto his side, he gave a sigh and closed his eyes.

Looking down at him, it was easy for Kim to tell that he had fallen instantly to sleep. It'd take awhile before they reached the research laboratory so it'd give Ron a good while to catch up on his sleep. Hopefully he'd be well rested for the mission ahead. Nothing might happen after all but when it was a research laboratory, the chances were slim. With a bit of luck, they'd have nothing more to face than a simple cat burglar.

Yawning, Kim leaned back in her seat and stretched her feet out in front of her. She browsed the Club Banana website preview of their upcoming Spring fashions with one hand while gently easing Ron into sleep by rubbing his hair with her other. One of the best things about being on missions was being with Ron and the solitude she had with him.

An hour passed by and Kim was woken out of her stupor by Mr Geminini calling to her they were nearing the jump zone. Unfortunately, the pilot would not be landing and Kim and Ron would have to parachute down. Looking down to her left, she saw Ron sleeping, his mouth slightly parted as he breathed. Kim swept a hand through his hair and gently called to him.

Ron stirred and twitched, struggled to open an eye that wanted to drop right back down. Kim had obviously just woken him from a deep sleep, perhaps he had even been dreaming.

"Time to go," she whispered, giving his head a last rub before shuffling past him and over to the door.

Ron stretched and yawned like a cat (or maybe a monkey) and curled himself back up again. "Five more minutes…"

But Kim shook her head, "Sorry, Ron. We gotta go now."

Ron made a small whine from his throat as he heaved his heavy body out of the seat and over to Kim. She helped him slide his parachute on since his arms were too weary still to do so himself.

"Think you're awake enough?" Kim asked, riling his shoulder and handing him his helmet. "You gotta be awake to pull the cord, okay?"

"Yea, yea, I'm awake," Ron covered a yawn. "Let's just go."

"Sure." Kim hauled the sliding plane door open and instantly the wave of fast, billowing air hit her hard. She let out a grunt as she latched herself to the doorway, not wanting to be swept away too soon. "READY?" she called over the rushing wind to Mr Geminini.

"Right… NOW!" he shouted back.

Kim thrust herself into the wind and began her plummet to the ground. Craning her neck up, she made sure Ron had jumped right after her and there he was by her side in the air.

"I still don't like this!" Ron wailed.

"Kind of a wake-up call, huh, Ron?" she teased, "Maybe we should do this every morning before class!"

"No, I mean, I _still_ don't like this falling stuff!" Ron's voice was in intense distress and the smile from Kim's face instantly vanished. From behind her goggles, she could see Ron's chest rapidly rising and lowering in extreme anxiety; he gulped with fear.

"You have a parachute, remember?" Kim shouted to him over the roaring wind. "We'll be fine, I'll let you know when to pull it."

Ro nodded, now closing his eyes and allowing the air to swallow him up.

"Okay… NOW!"

The two yanked the cords and, with no problems, they slowly drifted to the ground below.

"Not so bad, right?" Kim asked, shuffling the chute off of her and stuffing it madly into the pack.

"At least I didn't, like, land on a cactus this time. Or a scorpion like me that time."

"See? Always a bright side."

Standing up, Ron surveyed the desert land. "Where's the lab? Don't tell me it's a long walk…"

"I saw it when we were coming down, it's just over that cliff there."

Leading the way, hands on backpack straps, Kim lead the way up the slopping cliff. When they reached the top, Ron sucked in his breath.

"That's a _huge_ lab," he said under his breath.

The thing was nearly a labyrinth in its vastness. The building stretched out forever in all directions. It was almost like a small _city_ with all the towers and buildings, some no higher than her school gymnasium, it would have looked like a metropolis in the middle of the desert if the lights had all been on. Ron dearly hoped they wouldn't have to run around that place trying to catch a thief; the place was downright _massive_. One could very easily lose oneself in such a mock-city.

"I can't believe we've never been called to this lab before."

"Me too," Kim nodded, she sounded a little hurt when she said, "They look like the top secret labs to _end_ all top secret labs."

"Looks like a city."

"That too," she whistled. "Alright, gotta let Wade tell the scientists we're here and then start the surveillance."

"You mean we're watching the lab from… out _here_!" Ron exclaimed, dropping his backpack onto the dirt ground creating a small cloud.

"Yup," Kim sighed, she wasn't exactly too thrilled about doing surveillance out on this distant cliff in the middle of the desert either. She shivered, feeling a chill from the cool, night desert air. After contacting Wade, Kim dropped her backpack onto the ground, opening it up and handed a pair of binoculars to him.

"Why can't we be _inside_ and survey the security cameras?" Ron complained, flipping the binoculars over in his hands as he inspected them.

"Because those would be shut down too." She picked up another pair of binoculars for herself. "I'll be scanning the rooftops with these and yours," she leaned forwards and hit a switch on Ron's, "Will be scanning in infrared for people on the _other_ side of the building. Those binoculars strip the entire building away. Wade made them, obviously."

Ron applied the binoculars to his eyes and pulled away again looking sore. "Aww, this means no doughnuts… No sprinkles!"

"I'll get you some when we go back to Tri-city."

"Yea, except by then everything will be _closed_. You realise we're hardly going to get any sleep to-night and it was just a few hours ago that we were cuddled together in your bed, right?"

"_Yes_, Ron. I know."

Again Ron applied the binoculars to his eyes and laid down on the dirt ground. "And you _knowingly_ gave that up for this? My arms are cold."

"Sorry, I didn't bring any jackets. But, hey, if it's any consolation," she brandished a hand at her bare midriff, "I'm colder than you."

"I can see that," Ron replied sardonically, looking at something a little higher up than Kim's bare belly. "Oof!" he grunted when he received a punt in the side for that remark.

A second 'oof' issued from somewhere within Ron's pocket and Rufus poked his nose out, looking around in anger for the kick-ee, shaking his tiny little fist.

"You brought Rufus with you!" Kim exclaimed, very much shocked. "I… didn't think…"

"He wanted to come," Ron replied, turning himself to look up at Kim defiantly. "You were in the bathroom changing when we discussed it. He said that… that… Well, you know, Kim. This… this mission might be his, um, you know, his…"

"Yea, I think I know what you mean," Kim nodded. _His last with us_, she thought. "You can make the best decisions for him but just be careful, okay? Don't forget he's in your pocket."

"Kim, I _know_ that." Rufus crawled from Ron's pocket and up onto his shoulder where Rufus flopped with an exhausted sigh.

While Ron laid back down, Kim continued to stand, scanning the roofs of the laboratory for any movement. "See anything?" Kim questioned quietly, breaking the boring silence.

"Nope," Ron reported. "This hurts a bit…" He shuffled around and cleaned away some of the rocks and larger pebbles underneath him. "I hope something happens soon cos I don't wanna wait out here _all_ night, honestly."

"I hope nothing happens at _all_," Kim replied grimly as she surveyed the roofs of the laboratory with her own regular binoculars.

"Well, that too," Ron agreed. He gave a small groan as he pushed himself off his chest, allowing his ribcage to breathe. "How long did they say this shut down would last?"

"Until four in the morning."

"Oh, man, I am _not_ gonna be well rested for to-morrow's cram-fest," he muttered.

"Well, you insisted on going to the party Friday night…"

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."

Ron was too busy surveying the other side of the building for heat spots to look up and notice Kim blush.

"Well," Kim continued in an off-hand voice, "It wasn't all _that_ bad… ('sept for that last bit)."

Ron took a moment to look up at Kim as he said, "It would have been _better_ if you had let me stay the night."

Kim sighed, "Maybe you can to-night," she said to try and distract him from the direction the conversation was about to turn given his comment.

"Huh," Ron snorted, giving a smirk as he returned to scanning, "There isn't going to _be_ a to-night with this mission."

"True, true," Kim chuckled.

"No, uh… breaks?" Ron suggested.

Again, Kim laughed, "_No_, breaks. These criminals are fast, Ron. They're in, they're out—and all in the blink of an eye. We have to be aware… and constantly vigilant… and…"

"And?" Ron pressed when Kim didn't respond. It wasn't the most engaging conversation he'd ever had, but it certainly beat having still silence.

"Hang on… I think I see something. Here… stand up, Ron."

"H'm?" Ron grunted as he hauled himself off the rough ground, slight poufs of dust awakening which caused him to cough once or twice, Rufus too.

"I think I see a shadow," Kim dropped her voice to a whisper now. "But I'm not sure, use your heat binoculars and tell me if you see someone."

"Where?" Ron asked as he surveyed the rooftops. "I don't see—"

"_Shego_!" Kim blurted out. Then in a dash, she whipped around and crammed her binoculars into her backpack.

"Uh, what?" Ron stuttered as he took a few clumsy steps towards Kim. She was in a rush and he wasn't sure if he should follow suit or not.

"I _just_ saw her green flames light up, Ron! She's infiltrating the building. Backpack—quickly! We've got to catch up with her!"

"Er, right!" Ron scooped up his pack, storing away his belongings and gently picked up Rufus from his shoulder and placed him inside his pocket. "How're we getting over there? It's a bit of a distance…"

Kim ran up to the edge of the cliff and yanked a cord trailing from her backpack and a glider burst out of the front half of the pack. She arched her eyebrows at Ron and gave him a trademark grin.

Ron rolled his eyes and pulled his own cord, the gilder popping out on his own back.

"Let's go!" Kim commanded and she took two test bounces before she leapt off the cliff altogether and rode the thermals over to the metropolis desert lab.

Ron was a little tentative at first but as Kim glided away from him, he gave in and followed her. He was a little wobbly in the beginning as he fought to gain control over the thermals and keep on track towards the roof where Kim was intent on landing on. How did she make it work so smoothly? He thought, _Mine's gotta be busted or something._

"Down here!" Kim called and directed herself down, down onto one of the lower roofs on the building. Once she landed, Kim folded up the glider's wings and zipped up her pack in case she'd need them again later to-night.

With her pack again on her shoulders, she looked around and then up in the sky, but Ron was nowhere to be seen. "Ron?" Kim called. "Ron, where'd you go?"

"Up here!"

"Huh?" Kim looked up at a roof above and found Ron waving down at her. Kim laughed and ran over to the metallic ladder leading from the one she was on to Ron's rooftop. "Good job, I didn't think I'd make it to that one!"

"Heh, we'll, y'know," Ron replied smoothly with a smirk. "The Ron-Man's full of hidden skills," he winked at her when she hopped onto the roof and helped him store away the glider.

Kim rolled her eyes, "Now why do I think your dumb luck played into this one?"

"Tchach, and I keep _telling you_, Kimbo," Ron corrected. "It's _skills_ not _luck_. _Skills_."

"Then put your skills into gear, Ron. We have to catch up with Shego, I think she entered two roofs higher than this one. C'mon." She waved Ron to follow as she took off across the flat, concrete roof towards another ladder.

They ran stealthily across the roofs on the laboratory, passing pipes, doors, chimneys and more passageways to other sections of the building. It was so massive up there and so easy to become lost. It wasn't even like being on the roof of a usual building, but more like a labyrinth. There were ladders leading to lower roofs, higher roofs, platforms leading over the ground far down below. Ron had no clue where he was going, he was only following Kim blindly and hoped that she had no doubt where she was leading him.

He was huffing and puffing as he heaved his body onto another roof after climbing yet _another_ ladder when Kim brought out the Kimmunicator and hit a few buttons. She was obviously scanning for something.

"Whatcha looking for..?" Ron asked, pushing himself to his feet.

"There," Kim pointed and found a great large whole in a vent. "There's traces of Shego's green flames on there."

Ron snorted, "Kim, there's a great gapping _hole_ sliced into it, I think that's all the evidence we need."

Kim ignored the remark and motioned for Ron to follow her inside. Ron slid in after Kim and like a slide on the playground, slipped down the pipe, down, down, into pitch darkness. Ron had no idea where he was going and it was a bit frightening when he was taken to a sudden left or right. He knew it would be, and it was, a shock when he finally, unexpectedly, hit the bottom.

"Aa!" came a sound from underneath. "Ron… get off..."

"Kim?" Ron whispered. It was instinct for Ron to stretch his eyes as wide as he could and so frustrating on his brain when it could still not see a thing. So he blindly reached out, trying to feel a wall or some free space to get off of Kim. Kim didn't give him enough time, she just pushed herself up and Ron fell back, hitting his head on the metal wall behind him.

"Oooww," he complained, "Can't you turn on a light or something?"

"Yea, hang on… I have a flashlight in my backpack. I just can't see anything… is that it? No…"

"We're still in the ventilation shaft, right?"

"I think so, it feels a little… contained…"

"Claustrophobic," Ron added.

"We've been in tighter spaces before."

Ron pushed himself back, shuffling what he thought was away from Kim, only able to go by the direction of her voice. "Right, at least this one's a bit wider than most. How will we know which way Shego went- AAH!"

He gave a yelp as Kim flicked on the flashlight and a sudden burst of light issued. Being in the dark for so long, the light had blinded him, Kim as well.

She was rubbing her eyes when she responded, "We don't."

"Don't we have her, like, microchipped?"

"No, that's you."

Ron's mouth opened.

"Alright, follow me," Kim directed her light down the ventilation shaft. "Once we find an exit here we'll discuss going about for Shego."

"The sooner we're out here, the better."

On their hands and knees, the two friends crawled through the shafts, going, left, right, left, down, down, right, left and—

("Shoot!" Ron cursed when he nearly fell down a hole leading to an unknown length below.)

—everywhere. As the time passed, Ron wondered if they'd ever find their way out. He had thought Kim knew where she was going, but then, she didn't even have the Kimmunicator out.

Right when Ron was about to complain about the lack of air, Kim pointed to a hole shredded in what was once a grate, "I think she went this way."

"Good call," Ron agreed, noticing the sliced metal all around that could have only been damaged by Shego's claws.

Kim dropped down and waited for Ron to join her in the darkened hallway.

"Kinda creepy," he commented, hugging himself tightly.

"Just stay close. She couldn't be _that_ far ahead." Raising the flashlight, Kim cast it down the hallway, shinning the light onto the closed doors.

She didn't even have to say it to him; Ron never allowed more than a foot's distance between himself and Kim as he trailed behind her warily. They walked at a slow steady pace, opening each door and checking inside for Shego.

The hallway was long and there were no turns, it made their job easier. Ron was just relaxing himself when they checked yet _another_ door and found no-one to be inside when…

Then there was a sound.

There was a clanging and a shuffling and instantly Ron hopped behind Kim for protection. Kim held out a hand, telling him silently to stay put and not make a sound as they both strained their ears. Nervously, Ron looked behind him just in case.

"AHH!" Ron screamed the moment the door in front of them burst open and Shego leapt out.

The familiar villainess was still dressed in her usual green and black tight jumpsuit. Her almost lime-green skin was pale in the darkness, giving her the illusion that she was an eerie banshee lingering through the halls. The extended, wavy, black hair swung from side to side and covered one side of her face, although never hindering her visibility. The woman's eyebrows were slanted in intense cruelty, a cruelty that had blackened her heart years ago for which no salvation could cure. Yes, this Shego was the same that Kim and Ron had come to know. Time had not changed that and neither of them expected it to do so.

He heard the two women gasp, Shego obviously more shocked than Kim to see each other.

"Kim!" Ron called her attention, pointing to a small vile in Shego's right hand.

Kim gasped again and Shego recoiled, looking from Ron, to the vial in her hand, to Kim.

"Hand it over!" Kim commanded, shooting out her palm.

"Huh! Yea _right_," the venomous woman snarled then in an unexpected flash, Shego lashed out with her leg, knocking Kim back into Ron. The two tumbled backwards and allowing Shego a head start in her race to escape.

Kim hopped onto her feet and fled on the tips of her toes after her rival.

Frightened, Ron, too, crawled to his feet and ran to catch up with Kim down the dark hallway. With his fists swinging at his sides as he strived to keep up, ahead, he could see Shego sprinting with her long, black hair waving in a blob from side to side; barely could Ron see her face in a contorted snarl as she glimpsed behind her at her pursuers. Ron's attention was snared away from Shego when Kim made an abrupt movement as her arm flung into her backpack, still managing to hold onto her speed as she multi-tasked reaching in and pulled out her hairdryer/grappling hook.

"K-Kim, wha..?" Ron spluttered. He had no idea what she was going to use it for… yet.

Still in full run, Kim aimed the hook at the ceiling in the distant and fired. Both Ron and Shego gasped when the hook whizzed into the air and over Shego's head, it didn't seem like even she knew what Kim was up to. Letting out a growl, Kim tugged on hook and whizzed forwards: that was when Shego and Ron caught on.

"Ergh!" Shego let out a burst of frustration and leapt onto the side of a wall and pushed off with her claws that tore into the metal for extra distance and narrowly missing Kim in her full swing.

Still in the air after she reached the height of her swing, Kim let the hook release and pull back and before she landed on the ground she fired the hook again and continued this; making great leaps in distance and leaving Ron far behind.

Now Ron was puffing to keep up with the girls who disappeared through an open doorway up ahead. From what Ron could see already, it looked like the hallway was leading them to a catwalk of some kind. Already on the catwalk, Kim detached the hook from the ceiling, now caught up with Shego and the two were locked in a fist and kick fight.

"Give back the vial!" Kim ordered, thrusting a fist at Shego's face that the daemon woman blocked.

"Not on my _life_," Shego snarled back. "This is _personal_."

Ron had caught up with the two women and was lingering under the doorway. He wasn't really sure what to do now or if he should even become involved. For now, he decided to hang back until Kim really needed him.

"_This_ belongs to the laboratory!" Kim snapped back, her hair now a mess as she dodged, fought and gasped in battle in the small space they fought in.

"Not anymore!" Shego spat in return.

"Watch out!" Ron called out desperately as Shego gave a furious lash out with her leg and knocked Kim backwards, her head slammed into the metallic wall behind her. The grappling hook Kim had carelessly shoved back in her pack spilled out.

"Too bad, Princess!" Shego taunted before leaping off the catwalk.

Ron was already at Kim's side, softly trying to help her to her feet and see if she was injured. He had barely started trying to tenderly care for her when Kim bounced to her feet on her own and flew off the catwalk after Shego.

Gasping and Kim's recklessness, Ron ran to the bars of the catwalk and… gasped again, recoiling.

When he had entered the laboratory, he hadn't really realised where he was exactly. But now… now he had the full, sweeping sight of the entire room they found their selves to be in.

It was the size of a football field, perhaps even larger and the catwalk Ron was on was by _far_ not the only one. The entire _room_ was a maze of catwalks leading this way and that way, stretching on for as far as Ron could see. And yet from the outside, it only made sense that such a grand room had been inside all along. And _tall_ too! There were about… four, could be five, catwalk floors below Ron and what was below that?

Well, vats. Massive vats filled to the brim with odd-looking liquids. Some liquids were clear and innocent as water while others were dark and green, bubbling and ominous. If Ron could have chosen a room for Kim and Shego to duke it out in, it wouldn't have been this one. It was just screaming with fore-shadowing, if _either_ of them fell into one of those vats… He shuddered physically. For comfort, he picked up Rufus from his pocket and stroked his pet in his gloved palms.

Taking a look above him, there was one more catwalk row and the doorways were smaller above him. Then above that, finally, was an alleged roof above.

"Aah!"

Snapping out of his revere, Ron looked back down at Shego and Kim. He spotted Kim down on her back as Shego must have dealt her another blow. They were two catwalks down from Ron, he had _no_ idea how they had gotten that far below but all Ron knew was that _he_ wasn't going to be travelling down there anytime soon. He'd like to stay as far away from the vats as he could.

But then another cry came from Kim, and this time it was a scream of _terror_. Ron's voice broke in mid-gasp and his eyes widened fully when he spotted Kim… falling off the catwalk… and far away from any bars to hang onto… and, of course, right above a vat.

In a flash of what had to be Mystical Monkey Power-aided speed, Ron placed Rufus on his shoulder, picked up the fallen grappling hook and shot it downwards towards Kim and cried her name as loudly as he could.

Shego, who had been laughing vilely at Kim's defeat, looked up at Ron and hissed. Kim too had looked up in her fall and reached for the nearing grappling hook. Thankfully, the hook was faster than Kim's fall and caught up with her. Grinning, she wrapped her hands firmly around the hook and as soon as she did soon, Ron hit the retract button and began to reel her in.

Well Shego wasn't going to take this and spat a repugnant swear at Ron before she hurled plasma flames at him.

"H-hey!" Ron cried as he tried to dodge them and reel Kim in at the same time.

"I'll take _that_!" Kim smirked as she whizzed by Shego and made an attempt to grab the vial in Shego's clawed gloved hands.

"_NO_!"

Shego lashed back and side-swiped a kick at Kim knocking her away from Shego.

"Aah!" Kim wailed as she swung about wildly in the air, her arms were feeling the strain of holding onto the hook and she started to fear falling off.

Ron too let out a wail and struggled with all of his own strength to hang onto the hook. As he did, he accidentally swung Kim too close to Shego again who had been caught unawares this time. In a final attempt to grab the vial, Kim knew she was coming into Shego again and prepared herself with a smirk and a kick to Shego's face, packaged and delivered.

"AERGHGH!" Shego cried out in pain as she was knocked backwards on the catwalk and the vial was easily stolen by Kim.

"Thanks!" Kim winked at looked up at Ron who grinned merrily (and with much relief) down at her.

"Right, let's finish this," Kim said when she reached the first catwalk Ron was on.

"Are you alright?" Ron hastened, his voice soft. "You really worried me down there."

Kim waved him off, "I'm fine, Ron. But I wouldn't have been if I had fallen in. I don't know _what_ I would have fallen into but I'm banking on that it wouldn't have been good."

"Hear, hear!" Ron replied with raised eyebrows.

"Hear, hear!" Rufus mimicked on Ron's shoulder and the two took the time to smile at Ron's ailing pet.

It probably was the last mission he would be on with them, Kim remembered all the times Rufus had saved the _both_ of them and wondered what it would be like without the 'Rufus Factor'. Smiling idyllically, Kim reached out and lightly patted Rufus on the head, she watched Ron glow with pride as she did so and she felt a wave of pity towards him.

"How about we beep Wade to call in some friends to take Shego away now that she's unconscious?" she suggested.

"Too bad we still have more lab-watch duty after this little escapade," Ron moped, "After this, I'm aching for some bed time, all three of us. I'm still _really_ tired, I feel it in my ey—Ki-…?—AH!"

"Give me back the vial or your sidekick here will have his lights out for _GOOD_!"

Stunned and mouth agape, Kim stared at Shego who had grabbed Ron from behind and held him tight, one arm around his squirming waist, the other glowing and clawed, all ready to tear out his throat. Kim's eyes darted to the wall behind Shego and Ron and saw claw marks torn into the wall. She realised Shego must _not_ have been knocked out and had actually _climbed_ the wall like a cat utilising her claw-like gloves. Kim hadn't had even seen her coming until it was too late.

"I said _HAND OVER THE VIAL_. Do you think I'm _joking_?" And to prove she wasn't, Shego gently made a small incision on Ron's throat, drawing a trickle of blood.

It made him gasp and whine and squirm some more. "Kim!"

"Okay! _Okay_. You can have it." Kim raised up her palms to show there would be no tricks and reached into her pocket where she had placed the vial just moments ago.

"Give it to me," Shego snapped loudly, her voice echoing all around them.

Kim reached out and held the vial in an open palm allowing Shego to take a speedy swipe to successfully snatch the vial.

"_Thank-you_," Shego replied in a sickly-sweet, mocking voice. "We'll see each other again… but not with _HIM_!"

"HEY!"

"_KIM!_"

"Hahaha!" Shego cackled and she threw Ron into the air with one hand then swept him over the catwalk.

Both Kim and Ron screamed. Kim flew to Ron, allowing Shego space to pass and as she did, she hip-bumped Kim in a lame attempt to push her over the edge as well. It didn't work, in fact, it moved her faster to the edge so she was _just_ able to latch onto Ron's wrists as he dangled above the catwalks and vats below.

Unfortunately, that was all Kim was able to grab onto: Ron. Rufus on Ron's shoulder, being as old as he was now, was not fast enough nor strong enough to cling to Ron's shoulder during the throw into the air and so he slipped right off.

"_RUFUS!_" Ron screamed and began to wiggle violently in Kim's hold; it made her slip more off the bars.

"Stop!" she grunted, doing her best to cling to Ron and haul him back over the bars.

"RUFUS!" Ron could only cry as he tumbled on top of Kim and fought to push away from her to go after his pet. "Rufus! Oh my—_RUFUS!_ Kim! He… he, _RUFUS!_"

As Ron pushed and wiggled in his frantic mindset over what had just happened to his beloved pet, he accidentally pushed off Kim in uncomfortable and embarrassing places which she took notice of—he didn't.

But she stopped blushing when she saw Ron at the bars ready to leap right off to rescue his pet. That's when they both heard a small _splosh!_ from below.

"_HE'S GONE!_" he screamed, tears already streaking down his face. "Oh my Rufus, he's _gone_, I can't see him! Where'd he go-hey-_stop_! Let go of me! Let _GO_ of me, KP- _LET GO!_"

Kim had flown at Ron, latching her arms like a seatbelt around Ron's waist and yanked him away with all the strength she had— it was much more than Ron's when he wasn't aided by Mystical Monkey Power, which he wasn't.

Ron continued to fight in Kim's hold as she slowly inched towards the wall behind them to put as much distance as she could between Ron at what might have been a suicidal leap into a bubbling vat of toxin. Pressed against her chest, Kim could feel Ron's chest heaving for air as he cried and attempted to reach for the bars.

"I need to—I need to see him! He… he… Oh, Kim! He…"

Ron started to sob and she felt his body eventually lax in her hold. He leaned against her and sunk into her hold as the tears washed down his face. Kim too slunk down, onto the floor but refused to let go of Ron, yet although she relaxed her hold on him into a comforting hold rather than a restraining one.

She buried her face into his shoulder and murmured to him gently. "Oh, Ron… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

Ron leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes while Kim reached out with one hand to gently stroke his hair and whisper comforting words to him repetitively in an act to calm him down.

"Why… Why, Kim, why?" Ron choked, his hands hanging limply in front of him. "It's not fair, it's not fair at all; it's just not fair! H-he was so old a-and… and he was gonna go b-but n-not like this… Not like this! He's _dead_! Oh, Rufus…"

Kim knew what Rufus' death would be like but she didn't want to mention it to Ron at all in case he didn't know what would happen to his pet under the vat. Rufus would have no strength to paddle to the edge of the rim and he would drown, only to be brought to life by his Mystical Monkey Power. In the end, Rufus would drown and suffocate a total of ten times before he finally died. A horrific death, one that _no-one_ should ever go through. Kim wondered if even now, Rufus was being brought to life and dying again.

As she continued to wonder, Ron calmly stood up and walked stoically over to the bar railing. Kim was apprehensive; she didn't want him going near the edge so soon. Tension building up inside her, she watched Ron from behind as he placed both his hands on the railing and looked down.

There was a moment of silence, then Ron's shoulders tensed and… "RUFUS!"

"N—" Kim started to cry out but halted. She was in mid-pose, her body stretched out to grasp Ron when he swerved to his left and ran down the catwalk, his feet thudding and echoing all around. She froze, not sure where he was going. "Oh…" she said to herself when she watched Ron hustle down a ladder that lead to a catwalk below where there would be more ladders to eventually lead to the ground floor.

"W-wait up!" Kim called as she dashed after him.

He was flying down all the ladders leading to the catwalks and eventually to the ground floor where the large vat that Rufus had fallen in was hunkered.

"Get _back_ here, Ron!" she cried, reaching out for him as she ran down the floor aisle to catch up with Ron. She began to panic, worried Ron was actually going to jump in when…

"Rufus..?" Kim froze, her jaw dropped but then a smile swept over her face. "Rufus!"

And there Rufus sat, alive and well perched atop the vat's rim, still wet from the strangely-yellow liquid he had fallen into. Actually… Kim's smile wavered when she neared the vat, looking up at the mole-rat. Was it just her or… was he _glowing_?

"Rufus!" Ron cried, now at the base of the vat. He cupped his mouth with his gloved hands and called to his little pal. "You made it! I didn't think you'd make it, man, you totally psyched me there!" Ron stretched his arms up to welcome his buddy down.

Rufus sat, finishing preening his whiskers and craned his neck over the rim he sat on to look down at Ron. The mole-rat gave a squeal of delight when he saw Ron right below, ready with his pocket for Rufus to snuggle in. He shook himself dry like a dog and Kim's delusions of Rufus to be glowing disappeared. Giving a final cry of gratification, Rufus leapt down with a vigour Kim wouldn't have expected him to have at his age and landed right in Ron's arms.

Kim wavered a distance away from Ron and Rufus as the two had their little reunion, both of them laughing gleefully. A small smile crossed Kim's face and she took a few tentative steps forwards. It was odd, but for a moment there, she didn't feel like she belonged. Her eyes flickered, so did a flash of jealousy and a small voice inside her saying: 'I wish he had died' but she quickly banished it, scolding herself.

Ron turned to Kim and ran up to her with an embrace and she began to blush, embarrassed for even thinking such a thought, especially when the little mole-rat hugged her cheek. It caused her to take in a deep breath and feel another wave of love towards Ron and she showed him so by presenting him an extra squeeze in her hug.

Ron laughed as he pulled away and reached out a finger to Rufus on his shoulder to give him a pat when he froze.

"Uh, KP… Do you, uh… do you notice anything, um, like, _different_ about Rufus?"

Kim blinked away her trance and gave Rufus a small inspection and instantly teetered. "O-okay… I think my eyes are playing tricks on me…"

"You noticed it too?"

"Huh?" Rufus croaked, shrinking away from Kim and Ron's inspective gazes. Cringing, Rufus fled behind Ron's neck and coiled himself around, trying to hide.

"I think I do," Kim whispered, barely unable to understand it herself.

"Rufus, buddy!" Ron exclaimed, unable to see Rufus where he was hiding. "Y-you're _young_ again!"

"Young?" Rufus asked and crept out from behind Ron's neck and onto his shoulder again. He looked himself over and patted his tummy. "Young!" he crowed.

"Totally young!" Ron's grin was even larger from ear-to-ear— it was off the face and beyond. "Dude! _How'd this happen!_ Oh my… Kim! Kim, oh, he's, dude, he's YOUNG!"

"I see!" Kim replied, her voice utterly astounded. "I don't understand…"

"Who cares about understanding!" Ron continued, his voice brimming with ecstasy, "Rufus doesn't have death in his shadow anymore!"

Curious, Kim walked past Ron and took a gander at the vat when she noticed a small plaque. Bending forwards, Kim read the label: 'Test Vat MCDII: substance keyword 'IMMORTALITY'.

"Holy smokes."

"What was that, Kimbolina?" Ron asked, his attention still obviously centered on Rufus as Ron rubbed his pet's little tummy.

"I think you better read this."

"H'm?" Ron walked over to Kim, "What?"

Kim pointed with a finger as she leaned back to take in Ron's reaction. He froze and fell speechless for a long while. Finally when he found his tongue, he said, "Can they do that?"

"Apparently so," Kim replied. Her eyes darted to Rufus again, sitting on Ron's shoulder on hind legs. "He's young again, I saw him glowing…"

"So this means…"

"I guess…" Even though she had read the plaque and was staring at a Rufus fit and in his prime right before her eyes when only minutes ago he had been old and frail, Kim could not even find the tongue to say it could be true. It couldn't be and yet…

"Well," she concluded. "It's not entirely impossible. Places like this have come up with invisibility, cures for the common cold, firing lasers from space, turn people evil, and of course there was the Pandimensional Vortex Inducer which could do, like, everything in the whole darn world and more—"

"Rufus…" Ron whispered, not even acknowledging Kim anymore. "Can you read that?"

"Nu-uh."

"You're _immortal_. You're _never_ going to die now."

Rufus' squeal was insanely high-pitched.

"You know what _that_ means?"

Rufus shrugged and that far-off grin returned to Ron's face.

"Dude, you're gonna_ SO_ be passed on through our generations! RIGHT, KIM!"

"HUH, wha—gener—_WHA_!" Before Kim could finish her incoherent babble, Ron ran at her, attacking her with another firm hug around the waist and _actually_ lifted her into the air for a twirl. She was blushing and flushing _madly_, her entire face was red and she forced down a swallow.

"This is, like, _SO_ the best thing in the history of EVER _EVER_!" Ron shouted and squeezed Kim securely.

"I…" was all Kim was able to bluster as he twirled her around again.

Rufus on Ron's shoulder was bouncing up and down with as much euphoria as Ron was in. Rufus chattered and chittered, squealed and squeaked, bouncing all around. When Kim's face came close, he nestled her cheek, his whiskers unable to stop twitching.

"He's gonna go to our children and then our children children and our children children children and then—"

"Okay!" Kim flushed, struggling to separate herself with Ron. She was a little rattled by the topic but did her best to sound as if she found it funny. "Okay, I get it! He's going to live _forever_."

"Hey…" Ron placed Kim down on her feet and turned slowly to the godly vat. "Maybe…"

"No. Don't even think it, Ron," Kim cut in.

The instant Ron turned to look at the vat Kim noticed that glint in his eye. It was a glint that she rarely saw in Ron, but it was still there inside of him, the darker side of his personality. For as loveable, good-natured, clueless and oblivious as Ron could be, deep-down, he was also a little frightening to Kim. It as the same glint as the time he had the naco's royalties cheque, the one that enlarged his ego and pushed all that he _truly_ cared for into the back seat. Well, Kim would put a stop to that.

"We're leaving right now," she commanded and reached out for Ron's wrist. "We have to go back to our surveillance, remember? We have a job to finish. I'll have to check in on Wade in case anyone else has broken in since the Shego thing."

"Oh… okay…"

Ron's distant reply earned Kim's attention and she roughly pulled him forwards, disturbed with Ron's fascination with the vat that had granted Rufus his immortality and forever-youth.

"Come on," she said grudgingly, "You already have nine lives, that's enough for you."

"But, think abou—"

"_No_, it's not up for discussion. You and I are going to grow old together, you can't escape my presence. And I'll have you know I intend to have a walking stick when I'm old so you better watch it because you've seen my aim when we took baseball lessons when we were nine."

Finally, Ron seemed to revert to normal when he laughed at that remark and retorted, "No, I know your aim from when you're on a warpath."

Kim let out a disdainful squeal which Ron and Rufus cackled at. Ron no longer needed Kim's lead to detach him from the idea of living young forever. He was following her out of the room on her own and Kim could only hope they wouldn't have to return here.

The idea of immortality had struck Kim more than she had shown on the outside. The notion was frightening and yet… appealing, being young, with Ron… _forever_. But it was a large commitment, once the act was done, there was no turning back and who knew what the world had in store for itself. So Kim decided to pretend she had never discovered this room, or that vat and let time take its course. But she couldn't help but twitch her head as if to return a glance back at the vat one last time…

Young, together with Ron forever, that's what she had said. She wanted these times to last forever because, with all they've been through in the past, who knew what would happen to them next?


	2. Working for the Money

A Huge Thanks to My Reviewers: Zapdash, CajunBear73, captainkodak1, AndyCosta, thsunami, Classic Cowboy, John M. Steppenwolf, Cold-Chaos, LJFan (yes, I will take fault for the lateness xD!), Larie-chan, Laur (Ayu and Ku run around a lot in these fics if you know where to find them. "NO TRICKS, Naturally 8D!"), Deyinel, conan98002, The Infernal, Ezbok58a, Ultra Sonic 007, Ace Ian Combat, Rachel J. Lupin, louise88, Gryfffinrose, chao-hellsing, CastaS, Char and Loo.

**NOTE:** I actually had a lot of trouble uploading this instalment. I uploaded it many times and still it wouldn't upload the entire document. So in the end, I had to copy/paste this instalment into the edit/preview box. I've done this before within the Author's Note and to my dismay have found ffdotnet to smoosh some of my words together once it's uploaded. So in advance, if you notice any words combined that shouldn't be (ex: 'thatis') please let me know in a pm or review so I can fix that as soon as I can. It's _really_ frustrating and it would just about combust me if it were in the story itself. Thanks!

Now, some people were a little confused so here's a rough timeline of events so far so you don't have to dig back through the old stories like I have to sometimes 8D;

**_Year One_**

**September**: Tension Living- the whole story lasted a week.

**October**: beginning of Obscure Ways to Devotion; Ron fell into his coma.

**November:** Time passed; Tara incident.

**Decemeber:** Wrapped up Josh; Kim went into Ron's mind; Christmas.

**_Year Two_**

**January:** Time passed

**February:** Mystical Monkey Power enhancing; Kim spent the night at Ron's.

**March:** Time passed; Kim was grounded; end of the month was Kim's birthday; ending of Obscure Ways to Devotion.

**_Year Three_**

**January:** Opening of Unstable Distance.

And now on to the story :D! Enjoy!

-A. King

* * *

¤ Instalment 02 »» _Working For The Money_ ¤ 

Where are you, what are you doing and with whom?

I wander through the city all alone

Clasping my silent cell phone

Missing you…

- Arashiro Beni, '_Heart 2 Heart' _

* * *

The following morning, Kim awoke, shuffling and yawning. It was difficult to move for she and Ron were so tightly wrapped together within her blanket on the floor much like flies in a spider web. Kim struggled to free at least one of her arms after it fell into an uncomfortable position. She hauled it out of the blankets only to bring it back under to rest upon Ron's chest before her. Nestling closely, Kim closed her eyes and was able to feel his chest rise and lower underneath her. 

They had returned from their lab-watch mission around five-forty in the morning only to pass out on her dorm room's floor; neither of them had the energy left to even crawl up onto the bed. Ron must have had _just_ enough energy left to pull down the blanket and wrap themselves up since Kim had fallen to sleep the instant she hit the floor, if not before.

After all, they had a good excuse for being so exhausted. Shego had _not_ been the last of the thieves to storm the lab last night. It had been like a game of chu chu rocket in there, this way, that way, 'who's there?', 'over there!', 'there goes another one!' and 'which one was that now?'.

It was a thief free-for all and Kim and Ron were the only ones there to chase them down; it _really_ didn't help that the place was so darn _big _too. Kim was _sure_ a few must have gotten away, but at least they were able to catch the majority of them. Even if a few had slipped through her clasp, the lab was still forever grateful and even insisted on _paying_ Kim for their efforts! Naturally, Kim declined the money but Ron greedily shoved past her and accepted the money on her behalf which he later insisted they split.

Presently, Kim looked up at Ron's sleeping face and smiled. She wouldn't have chosen anyone else to come with her on that mission, no matter how hectic it had been or how harried _she_ had been. Leaning forwards, she pressed her nose to his and pulled away: he didn't even twitch. Shuffling her legs to warm up, Kim wondered as to the time.

_That's right. We came back at almost __six am__. I have a feeling we've slept in a long time..._ Then she gasped, pulling away from Ron in her recoil. Although, she didn't have far back to move since they were already securely wrapped up and so when Kim moved, Ron actually moved with her.

_I'm going to be late!_

"Ergh..!" Kim groaned as she fought to free her arms. "Ron! Ron, get up… help me, I'm stuck! _Ron_!"

"Mmm."

"Yea, that's right," Kim replied gruffly as she began to wiggle. "It's… augh… are… Are you up yet!"

"Up?" Ron's voice came softly, he wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, up" Kim breathed once she had loosened the blankets a little. "What time is it?"

Ron's eyes flittered open. "Wake up? Wha..?" he yawned, freeing his hands with ease. "Mornin' already? But I'm still tired…" And he lifted up a hand to pull his glasses further down the nose so they didn't imprint upon his face.

"Well then you can stay here and sleep," Kim replied, she craned her neck backwards and upwards to try and read her bed stand clock above her. "I have someplace to be."

"What?" Ron asked with mild interest. Instead of helping to free Kim from the blankets, he frustrated her further by holding onto the blankets and wrapped themselves up again. He closed his eyes as if going back to sleep. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Me, Ron. Not… not you."

Ron nestled his head under her cheek, she felt him yawn again. "H'm?"

"I made a date for to-day, come on, Ron. Up!"

This earned Ron's instant attention. "Date!" he yelped, pulling back and loosening the blankets enough for Kim to slip out of. Ron pushed himself onto his hands, still wrapped in the blanket. "Date! Since when do you have a _date_ and I'm not in the equation?"

"Ron, we don't _date_. Don't use that word, it's ugly."

"Yea, ok, but _WHO_? Kim…"

"Augh, Ron, you're such a drama queen. I said I'd meet Monique to-day. _Monique_. Not a guy."

Ron's eyes followed her as she walked around the small room. "Monique, hah? When did you have this all planned and didn't tell me?"

"For a few weeks now," Kim gave an exasperated sigh. Clothes in hand, she locked herself in the bathroom to change. Ron crawled on the floor and leaned against the bathroom door, snuggling himself in the blankets and continued his conversation with Kim.

"Where are you guys going?"

"What? Wanna come too?" Kim asked from behind the door. "We're going to see a movie then head to a café to catch up; I haven't spoken to her in months. Just because we go to different schools now doesn't mean I intend to lose the _only_ gal pal I have."

"Oh, then I don't wanna go. Chick flick, café and ladies talk? So not my wild party." He paused as he heard Kim rustling around with her clothes from behind the door; he tapped the door with a knuckle. "How long you gonna be?"

"What's it to you?" Kim countered.

"So I might pick you up when I get back, that's what."

"That'd be nice!" Kim's response made Ron smile. "Hey, get back from where? Now who's keeping the secret rendezvous, h'm?"

"I figured just now since you're going on your own with Monique, I could use that time to go back home."

"Home?" Kim asked.

The bathroom door opened but this time Ron was attentive enough to pull away before falling backwards. Kim walked out in flared jeans and a ruffled green-khaki vest overtop a bright pink sweater. Ron forced himself to his feet as he followed Kim to her drawer where she used the top as a makeshift vanity.

"Why are you going home?" Kim asked as she carefully applied some lipstick.

"Just… have to pick some stuff up, that's all."

Kim slid him a look, "You sound awfully evasive, Ron."

Ron turned away and threw himself onto her bed. "Okay, okay—I'm going home to refill my pills, that's all."

"The pills for your bulimia?"

"Yea."

"Good for you, Ron," Kim said, now touching up her eyes. "I'm glad you're continuing with them. With them and me on your side, you'll get out of it in no time."

Ron didn't respond.

"Right?" she pressed.

"Right."

"Now… how do I look?" Kim twirled around for Ron, modelling her outfit.

"Hot," Ron sat up, yawning. "Want me to drive you there?"

"Uhh… sure! That'd help. I'd have to take the bus otherwise. Unlike _some_ lucky people, _my_ parents didn't buy me a vehicle, I have to earn it 'the independent' way."

Ron laughed, stretching like a monkey on her bed. "That's one bonus of having hard-working parents, ya? I get free stuff."

"Tell me something I don't know," Kim rolled her eyes. "Ah, ah, ah! Wait—_hold it_! STOP. In the name of fashion!"

"Wha..?" Ron, with Rufus now on his shoulder, was halfway to the door when he froze.

"Please, Ron, you're still in your dirty mission clothes from last night. Change? Please? If not for you, then do it for me. Think of me, having to be seen with you in _that_."

"Aw, c'mon, KP…"

"I'll compromise if you wear the clothes from yesterday. You might have slept in those too but at least it's better than walking around with Pigpen."

Groaning, Ron threw himself in the direction of the bathroom where he had left his clothes the prior day when he had changed into his mission ones.

After changing they were out the door and Kim was riding on the back of Ron's motorbike. This was the bike that his parents had given him in last August as a gift to get around while spending his time in Tri-city. Kim recalled that day when Ron came over to her house and asked her to close her eyes before stepping outside.

'I want to show you something I got' he had said and led Kim blindly out the door and towards her driveway.

When Ron told her to look, Kim had gasped, a hand had even flown to her chest. There, before her, was Ron's brand-new motorbike. Sleek, trendy, stylish and, later she would find out, thankfully rather quiet. A Japanese-make, it was yellow with lime-green stripes and decoration. In the sunlight, the side mirrors glowed and everything about the bike was brand new.

'It's yours!' she had asked, downright ecstatic 'your parents just_ bought_ it for you!'. It could hardly be believed! How lucky was he to have something like that just handed to him? Kim's parents had just handed her a yearly bus pass. Not that it was cheap but it was no motorbike! Now _this_ was a serious upgrade from his old scooter, that was saying something!

'Why didn't you ask for a car?' Kim had asked while inspecting the bike. 'Not that I don't love this, but it's a little more practical. I can see parents buying their kid a car, but not a bike.'

'Don't like cars,' Ron had replied edgily. 'Too scary,' and he shivered in the remembrance of Motor Education class in high school a few years ago.

Ron had driven Kim all around Middleton that day, going for ice cream and any place as an excuse to ride the bike. At the end of the day, they had bought some stickers Ron selected from a dispenser and together they had decorated the bike with Zboy and Fearless Ferret stickers among other things.

'Since I'm covering it in stickers,' Kim had said cautiously, 'Can I write on it?'

'Sure, depends on what you write though.' He had told her.

Picking up a black, permanent marker, Kim wrote on the side: 'KP (hearts) RS'.

Ron checked out what she had written and instantly glowed with an intense sensation of pride. Yes, he had no problem with _that_ being written on the side of his bike.

And so it was still written on the bike, hadn't even faded in the least, that Ron was driving with Kim behind him. It was every time she rode with him on that bike and knowing what _she_ had written on it that still sent that sense of pride inside him.

The movie theatre wasn't far from campus and they arrived rapidly, Kim being sure to point it out just in case. Rolling into the parking lot, Ron parked in a space near the street.

"I can't believe I had to put on a different pair of clothes for this." Then before Kim could make a retort, he nodded his head in a fashion that he was pointing at something, or someone. "Is that Monique?"

Turning around, Kim spotted someone standing near the ticket booth who was waving at them. Kim waved back, "Yea! Are you going to come up and say hi?"

"Nah, you tell her I said hi though. I gotta get back to Middleton," Ron didn't even bother to lift off his helmet. "You go have fun, d'you know how long the movie will be?"

"Um, come back in maybe two and a half hours? Maybe three? Something like that. We want some time to talk at the Café across the street later. That one," Kim pointed to an outdoor strip mall on the opposite side. "You can pick me up there."

"Does Monique have a ride? I dunno if we can fit three of us on this thing."

Kim shook her head, "She's gotta car."

"Oo, hot. Ok, have fun, babe, catch ya later!"

Kim scolded him as he gave her a teasing grin while pulling out of the parking space. He gave her one last wave before disappearing down the street completely. Once he was gone entirely, Kim jogged over to the sidewalk to meet up with Monique.

"Hey, Kim!"

"Monique!"

Seeing Monique again put a wide smile on Kim's face. Seeing her friend reminded Kim that life was back to normal for her and that _this_ was her world, the world of the young and good, clean, times. It put so much cheer inside Kim's chest that she couldn't even begin to describe. Life was in her hands and it was a bright and glorious life at that.

Monique waved Kim over a final time and when Kim approached, she was able to better evaluate her friend's stunning outfit.

Monique wore a slick, fashionable pale red ensemble complete with a jacket and matching tight skirt. Her hair was slicked from one side to the other where it bounced in a bushy, curly ponytail over her shoulder. Large, golden, hoop earrings swung underneath Monique's ears and it wasn't only her clothes that made her look older and more sophisticated from when Kim last saw her friend in September. Had it really been that long that Monique's face had changed slightly too? Kim's eyes had picked it up slightly on Ron as well, but was she herself the same? As good as life was, Kim had to remember that it was still moving and would keep on going.

"You look _great_!" Kim complimented, clasping her hands, "Yikes, Monique! Take a walk down the catwalk or what?"

Monique laughed, placing her hands on her hips. "Why thanks, Kim! And I see you're as trendy as always. Club Banana?"

"_Of_ course," Kim smiled smugly, "And you? Haven't seen that outfit at Club Banana at all."

"That's because it's a Monique original," she winked, "A one and only!"

"No way!"

"_Way!_"

"You _are_ going far, Monique. Wow, you're going to leave me in the dust one of these days."

The two girls headed for the movie cinema ticket booth and stood behind a couple at the till.

"Uh-huh, yea right," Monique snorted sarcastically. "I do remember seeing _your_ face on a magazine two months ago. I'm just catching up!"

"Really?" Kim asked sounding perplexed. "I didn't know. Which magazine was that?"

Monique gave her a funny look, "It was on every newsstand, Kim. It's, oh, you know, that magazine I've seen you reading before."

Kim's actions became rigid when she brought out her wallet, "Two for _Heart Day Love_, please," she told the ticket both cashier. She said to Monique, "Oh, I was busy that month with University."

"Same here, same here," Monique nodded, pulling out her cash to pay for her ticket. "But it's _so_ fun! I mean, not to toot my own horn anything, but I'm really getting noticed."

"As you should!" Kim returned, picking up the tickets. They headed inside and ordered a bag of popcorn each.

"Isn't Ron going to join us?" Monique asked, already popping some popcorn into her mouth.

"Oh, no, he has some errands to do. But he did say hi to you."

"How's he been doing? Surviving University okay?"

Kim laughed, " 'Surviving' being the appropriate word there. But yea, we're doing good, Ron too! I haven't been— I just—I mean… yeah."

Kim and Monique slid into their seats while the movie trivia and advertisement flashed on the screen before them. However Monique wasn't reading the trivia, instead she sent Kim a curious look, allowing her to finish her jumbled up sentence.

"We're doing good," Kim concluded.

-ø-

Sliding his motorcycle's keys into his jean pocket, Ron jogged up to the café's double doors and pushed his way in. Surveying the intimate room, he shoved his bangs back only to have them bounce back into place. It wasn't difficult to spot Kim's blazing auburn hair, marking her to sit near the back of the café across from a girl with long, wavy black hair in a ponytail. Since Kim looked like she was deep in conversation with Monique, Ron decided he'd pick up a coffee and croissant for himself.

While waiting in the line, Ron made attempts to catch Kim's eye or even Monique's, but they were still too caught up in whatever they were talking about to even notice he had arrived.

Croissant in one hand, coffee in the other and mole-rat on the shoulder, Ron stole the available seat behind Kim and decided to wait until there was a break in the conversation to announce his presence. In the meantime, Ron took a sip of coffee, broke a piece off the croissant to share with Rufus and eavesdropped on his friend's conversation. Indeed, Ron Stoppable was a master of multitasking.

"…ludicrous if you ask me," Kim was saying. "It's been long enough." It was difficult for Ron to hear what the girls were saying, even if they were just behind Ron. There was bustle all around and their voices were disjointed. "…being proposed to on Valentine's Day."

Ron froze, croissant piece half in his mouth.

"…leave hints, y'know?" came Monique's voice. "… take a hint!"

Ron gulped down the piece roughly and felt Rufus' whiskers twitch against his neck; his mole-rat was just as attentive as Ron was. Together, they struggled to strain their ears to filter the noise of the café around them to fully hear the girls.

"…'ll have to wait until next year!" Kim laughed dryly and Ron felt her lean against the cushioned seat behind him. She sighed away the laughter, "That's a long wait." There was a momentary pause, "And then—"

But that was enough for Ron. Perturbed, he grabbed his croissant and headed for the door, leaving his coffee behind. Ron walked swiftly, brow knotted, until he reached his motorbike and leaned against it. Ripping off a violent bite from the croissant, he wrapped the rest up, shoved it in his pocket and pulled out his pill container he had just had filled to-day. Popping a pill into his mouth, he could only think on what Kim just said:

She wanted to be proposed to on Valentine's Day.

How was he supposed to know that! What did she mean she had 'dropped hints'? When! Valentine's Day..? Wha..? That was _next month_! The contents in the pill container rattled as his hand shook. And it wasn't just that he missed all this and… and… was supposedly due on Valentine's Day but…

She wanted to _marry_ him.

Marriage.

Kim wanted Ron to propose to her so they could be married.

The thought struck Ron deeply as he discovered he wasn't sure how to handle such a thought. And yet…

Ron shifted his shoulders nervously. Why should he feel so uncomfortable with the idea of marrying Kim? After all, Ron could picture himself with no-one else but Kim and for the rest of his life too, he would openly admit. What more was that he was _positive_ Kim felt the same (well, apparently so!). So if _he_ was positive and _Kim_ was positive… then what was bothering him with such a notion?

_We're a little young,_ he thought. _Not even twenty years old yet._ Yes, there was that, but already they had openly admitted to one another they were in love, saying it didn't bother Ron or even make him blush. It was a fact and they both knew it. _And most people at our age haven't known each other as long as Kim 'n I have. And all that stuff Kim said at the party about that couple—pfft, no-one's been through all the stuff we've been through either. So… we're not like other people…Right? Then I guess… _

Ron lifted his head to the dull, pale-blue sky ahead. _It'd only confirm what we already have. And it'd stop creeps like that jock from hitting on Kim if she'd have a ring 'o mine on her finger to flash. _A grin crept across Ron's face. Yes, he rather liked that notion. _She'd be mine, like… _officially_ and… _

_Whoah. _

What _else_ came with marriage besides the ring that marked her as his?

Ron instantly felt a wave of flush hit his cheeks. And he was not one accustomed to blushing easily either.

_Yes, _he concluded, a dreamy look crossing his face. _I don't have a prob with this 'marriage' thing… at all. _

_But then… oh man!_ Ron stood straight, another thought instantly slapping him in the face. _V-Day! That's, like, next freaking month! And… I'm supposed to get her a _ring_. Oh boy, this could cause a stall here…I don't— _

"Hey, have you been waiting out here for me long?"

"Ah?" Startled, Ron lifted his head out of his thoughts to see Kim crossing the parking lot.

"I saw you through the window. You could have come inside and gotten me, you know."

"Yea, oh, well, I haven't been waiting long. Didn't wanna interrupt or anything"

"Silly," Kim teased, patting a hand on his shoulder, "We wouldn't have been bothered. Monique would have liked to have seen you again."

Ron handed her a helmet, "It's okay . Girl talk bores me anyway."

"Ha! What do you mean?" Kim smirked, "You've dealt with that for your entire life. It's wonder you're not—" When Kim had taken a seat behind Ron on the motorbike, she heard the tin in his pocket rattle. "Oh! Did you pick up your pills from home?"

"Yup."

"Lemme see."

Ron rolled his eyes and passed them to Kim, "Yes_, Mom_," he teased.

Kim playfully stuck her tongue out at him and lifted the tin to check the contents. Once she approved, she shoved it back into his jacket pocket and hit something else.

"What's this?" Kim asked, pulling out the croissant.

"Huh?" Ron strained to turn his neck around. "Oh, just, uh, picked that up at home."

He heard Kim clicking her tongue from behind as she returned the croissant and medicine tin to his pocket. "You know, Ron, you're _allowed_ to eat. I'm not 'the food police'. It's just when you eat in over abundance that's bad. And especially when you go to haul it all up. That's _very_ bad." Picking up her helmet, she placed it on her head, Ron doing the same with his.

"Yes, yes, Kim," Ron gave an exasperated sigh and started up the engine. "We've gone over this countless times— you don't need ta lecture me every time, yanno."

Kim rolled her eyes from behind, hugging him tightly around the waist. "I wasn't lecturing you," she laid her head on Ron's back as they rode down the street, the wind playing with her hair. "I just care." She couldn't see the faint smile on Ron's face. "So aren't you going to ask me how my 'date' was?" she teased.

"Haha," Ron replied, dripping with sarcasm. "So how was it, Kim? Hit first base yet?"

He felt a whack on the back and he chuckled. "We saw this really good movie, Ron—"

"A _girl_ movie?"

"A _good_ girl movie, no really, Ron, it was about—"

But Ron zoned out from there. He wasn't about to be held ransom, on his own motorbike for that matter, being forced to hear Kim drone on about some generic chick flick; they always ended the same. It was quite easy to turn Kim's words into nothing but background noise and what with his helmet on plus the motor's engine along with all the street noises around them… well, the wind just carried Kim's voice away. Of course Ron spewed out the occasional 'ahuh', 'yea' and 'totally' for the illusion of paying attention.

Ron swerved to a street on the left smoothly just as Kim said, "—Then we went to the café and talked for about an hour. Did you know Monique's designs are really getting attention already? I mean, you can't be certain yet, but she said," Kim lowered her voice and whatever she said Ron couldn't catch even if he had wanted to, (which he did!).

"So!" Kim said finally, the word telling Ron she had finally wrapped up her conversation. "We're heading back to your dorm, right?"

"Huh? Why mine?"

"To pick up some of your stuff so you can move in with me, that's why."

"Ohhh, so you were serious about that?"

"No duh!"

"Think I'll be allowed though?"

Kim snorted, "I doubt the girls even care. They're used to you going up and down the stairs anyway but just so long as you don't steal from their kitchen. Actually, don't even go anywhere _near_ the kitchen or they'll kick your butt. Seriously. If you're hungry, I'll get it for you."

"Gee, makes me feel like I'm in prison, not paradise."

" Paradise?" she asked almost venomously.

"Yeeeaaaaa," Ron purred, " _Paradise_. Come on, Kim. What guy doesn't dream living in a house filled to the brink with hot girls?"

"H'm, lemme think, maybe, uh, _YOU_. Mister Attached-to-Kim Possible. Don't you forget it."

"How can I? You're like… this overbearing…"

"Ron! Ron…"

"Kim, Kim, I'm just _joking_. Hello, joke much to Kim? C'mon, you know I heart you."

"Then say it _properly_."

"I love you, KP."

Kim again laid her head on Ron's back and he felt her snuggling up against him and her arms hug tighter around his skinny waist. "I know you do, sorry."

"No need for sorrys here, Kimbo. I like that you're a lil bit jealous even when you know I'm kidding around."

From behind Ron, Kim was blushing intensely. Ron smiled to himself as he continued to sail down the street and towards the campus grounds for having Kim wrap her arms around him and swoon onto him was one of the most wonderful feelings Ron could feel. Just knowing that Kim had such strong and passionate emotions for _him_, emotions such as _love_, elated him to a height far beyond Ron ever imagined. They didn't need to be all gushy _all _the time as Kim had said, because they were bonded to each other on a level above something as simple as that. Ron thinking of Kim and how she felt towards him strengthened their bond, and he was positive it went vice versa so in other words:

_We'll never be apart now. No more misunderstandings. No more secrets. We understand each other more than anyone else could even know._

They rolled up into the fraternity's driveway just across from the sorority and Ron sat up, stirring Kim from behind.

"We're here already?" she asked, pulling her helmet off.

"Don't tell me you fell asleep back there."

"Tchach, nu-uh!" and she blushed, turning away. Her mind had been in a dream-like state, but not one induced by sleep. "I hope you're not bringing over much," she commented as they headed through the front doors of the frat house.

"I know—we'll have to carry it all across the street 'n up those stairs."

"Nooo," Kim drawled, "I meant because it's going to clutter up _my_ room."

As they walked through the house, Ron was constantly casting around wary looks: leaning backwards and forwards drastically to peer around corners. He was so exaggerated in his actions that he was more conspicuous than the opposite he was attempting to be.

"Remind me again, why are we on another mission right now?" Kim asked with a mocking grin.

Ron sent her a quick look and returned to life-impeding recon as they traversed up the stairs. "You know who I'm lookin' out for," he whispered. "Jock boy. I don't know how he feels about me from the party but I don't think he'll be too pleased. Especially with you here, coming up to… uh, here."

"I know," Kim rolled her eyes. She took Ron's hand and forcefully led him up the stairs, panicking Ron. "C'mon, if we do, I'll just knock him down the stairs for you, how about that?"

"Oh, sure, anger him _more_ why don't you? Didn't your parents ever teach you 'conversation not confrontation'?"

"Of course they did and I conversate with my fists," and she gave Ron a wink.

" 'Conversate'," Ron smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. "_Now_ who's the one makin' up the funny words?"

Kim rolled her eyes yet again this time with a groan as she hauled Ron faster to the second floor. "Ok, Ron, now which room is yours, I can't remember, it's been so long."

"This one," Ron stated, releasing himself from Kim's firm grip and lead her to a door at the end of the hallway. Pulling out his keys, he unlocked it and yanked Kim inside so fast that she even let out a small wail. He locked it shut behind him.

Shaking her head for his behaviour, Kim took a step forwards and surveyed his room. Compared to Kim's dorm, Ron's was pretty bare and that was saying something because usually clutter, such as the one spread across Ron's floor, made a room look… _Unbare_, she thought. She grimaced at all the clothing just laid out on the floor all willy-nilly; it was like a tornado had hit the place. _So this is what Ron's room would look like if he wasn't forced to keep it clean? _

"Kay, Ron, so what are we bringing over with us?" Kim asked, clapping her hands as she surveyed Ron's dorm room. It was a little bare compared to her own, but then hers _did_ have a lot of Ron's things already in her room to clutter space mind you.

Ron shuffled forwards and bent down in front of his bed and hauled out textbooks and binders from underneath. So much came flying out that it marvelled Kim how much he resembled a magician pulling a ridiculously long handkerchief from his sleeve.

"Well," he grunted, hauling out yet even more, "Better bring all these along, don't wanna leave anything behind. Cause if I come back, he might _get me_."

Kim furrowed her brow, "Can I help with something else while you do that?"

"Clothes from the closet, you can just dump 'em in my suitcase, right?"

"Good idea," Kim nodded, heading for his closet. "I don't want you on any clothing shortage while bunking with me. I like my men fresh and clean smelling."

"_Which_ I always am," Ron sang back.

"Indeed you do," Kim replied, matter-of-factly. "However… if you don't _wash_ your shirts and wear the same one for a whole week…" Kim plucked some of his shirts off the rack and into an open suitcase.

"I've never worn a shirt for more than six days straight!" Ron scoffed.

"Oh, because that's _so_ much better…"

"No, it was that time, when was it?" Ron sat up on his bed, tapping his chin. "I think it was that time when I was trapped in that air duct on that mission a few years ago. I was stuck in there for nearly a week remember?"

"Oh yea!" Kim brightened, "And we had to feed you through a small tube between the gaps in the grate. Pumped you water that way too."

"Yea, yea," Ron nodded, sounding very much less enthusiastic. "And they considered busting me out by breaking the wall with a wrecking ball."

"Oh, but we couldn't have done that," Kim replied sorrowfully. "Remember? The wall in the museum had some mural painting on it."

"Ahuh, that, and the fact that I would have come out with a few broken _bones_."

"So? You would have gotten out sooner, what's it to you?"

Ron sat up, hands on his waist as he sent Kim a cold glare.

"Oh, Ron, I'm only teasing," Kim replied, placing her hands on her front thigh and bending over. The look of amusement was gone from her face and she became far more serious. "I do remember that time, Ron. You were so terrified and it must have been so hard to breath and so claustrophobic. No wonder you don't like going through vents anymore. I remember while the construction workers were discussing what to do… I was standing on a stool in front of the gate soothing you… I…"

Ron perked up, beginning to feel a little flushed.

"I remember wishing that I could just reach in there and… and comfort you. We were so close, just a sliver of metal separating us but it hurt a lot inside to be separated from you. We could have been on opposite sides of the planet for all it_ felt_ like inside. I _know_ what you mean, Ron."

"Kim, I… Yea. So close and yet so far apart. It was stupid." Continuing to flush, he turned around and went to his bedside desk to haul things out and dump them into the open suitcase. "You're gettin' all of my clothes there, right?"

"Yup," Kim nodded. "Anything else?"

"Oh! Yea, I just need to grab my laptop then can you pick up Rufus's bed? We'll have to carry that, everything else can just go in the suitcase."

Finished with Ron's closet, Kim hopped over the suitcase and over to Rufus' bed at the foot of Ron's own.

Tsking, Kim shook her head as she picked up the large plush bed made for a dog the size of a Doberman.

"Ron, why in the _world_ did you get Rufus such a large bed? Like… you could have just gotten one the size of a Chihuahua and there would have been ample room!"

"Nu-uh, not enough room for the little guy—"

"There you go! You just admitted it, 'little' guy. Ron," she trudged back and dumped Rufus' bed by the suitcase. "You spoil that rat far too much, you know. You act as if he's your—"

Ron came over to the suitcase carrying his laptop and slid that into a pocket under the roof of the suitcase. "My what?" he asked.

"Your, like… You're like a dog owner! Those crazy ones who buy clothes for them and stuff and let them eat off the dinner table. You spend too much on Rufus; he'd be fine with a shoe to sleep in. Not even a shoe, just use a sock."

Both Ron and Rufus gave a scandalous gasp. "Kim, you did _not_ just say that. A _sock_? Have you no heart! What if I told you to just go sleep in a so— Uh…" Kim gave Ron a sardonic glare. "Well… I think Rufus deserves it," and Ron plucked Rufus from his pocket and gave him a small hug. "The little guy is gonna be livin' la vida loca for the rest of time!"

Once again, Kim's only response was the rolling of the eyes, yet her mouth twitched into a near smile. Inside, she was oddly amused by Ron's pampering of Rufus, treating him like he was something more than just a pet. Amused, yes, but there as another emotion running underneath that one and it was one Kim no longer desired to feel.

"So we've got everything now?" she asked, forcing herself away from certain thoughts. She bent down to buckle up the suitcase.

"Think so! I can take the case and you can just take Rufus' bed and we'll be good."

Ron ambled over to the suitcase, textbooks, clothes and laptop all packed away. Flexing his fingers, Ron bent down, wrapped his hands around the handles and pulled with all his chicken-wing arm strength.

"ERGH!" he grunted as he continued to lean back to try and at least get the suitcase off the ground.

"Lift with your knees, not with your back!" Kim called.

Ron tried this but it had no effect, the suitcase simply did not wish to be carried by Ron. Panting, Ron prepared himself for another tug when… it lifted right off the ground! Yes, his super manly strength would not fail him! … Of course, only because Kim took the handles as well.

Ron sent Kim a glare, clearly his manlihood had just taken a shot.

"We'll carry it _together_," Kim said, trying not come off smug.

With the suitcase between them, Kim picked up Rufus' bed and out the door they went, Ron locking it behind them. Surprisingly, Kim and Ron were able to escape the fraternity without incident. They crossed the street, their feet shuffling in small increments while their arm muscles strained to hold up the heavy suitcase (it was all the textbooks inside that really weighed them down).

Hauling it up the stairs was no easy task. Kim ran up and dumped Rufus' bed onto her own then hopped back down the stairs to aid Ron in bringing up the suitcase. While Kim pulled, Ron pushed and they lost the case a couple of times, only to have it tumbling down on Ron. Girls who were walking past or up and down the stairs gave them peculiar looks and two of them even joined to help. With the four of them, they eventually achieved their goal, (not without having it tumble back down on Ron on the second-to-last step, of course) and the suitcase was then carried into Kim's room where she set it down by her drawers.

"Augh," Ron groaned as he flopped down backwards onto Kim's bed. "I'm exhausted, my arms feel like rubber, like dead noodles."

"They always are," Kim retorted.

She picked up Rufus' bed, dusted it off and placed it in the small space between Kim's bed and the wall. Gleeful to have his bed back, Rufus bounded off of an exceptionally dead Ron and onto his bed, where he curled up and snuggled into a nap. Apparently Ron was following suit.

"I don't think so," Kim said, tossing her head to one side and lightly dropped a pillow onto Ron's head. "Still have some cram time left before dinner."

"Mm, dinner," Ron grinned, "What are we having, Bueno Nacho?"

Kim winced, "Not to-night, Ron. I'll pick you up something from downstairs."

"Thanks a lot," Ron replied, struggling to sit himself up. "I'm startin' to get famished here. I haven't eaten since, like, that croissant. And I didn't even finish it…" he mumbled.

Realising he was still wearing his jacket, Ron fished inside his pockets. He pulled out his pill container and rested it on the bed stand next to him while he dug into the other pocket for his croissant.

"Aww," he moaned in such distraught, it very nearly made Kim feel pity towards him as he stared despondently at what he held in his hands. "I squished it."

"Tell you what," Kim said, heading for the door, "You can snack on that while I go down and bring something up for you."

Ron didn't even look up as he ever so carefully unfolded the wrapper surrounding his croissant, cautious not to drop a crumb onto Kim's bed.

Smiling with slight embarrassment, Kim left Ron to tend to his in critical condition pastry. Trotting down the stairs, she bypassed a few of the girls loitering around, most were out having dinner or working on homework. Searching around in the kitchen, Kim prepared two of her specialties: microwave supper times two, for Ron and herself. Placing them on plates so she wouldn't burn her hands, she trekked back up the stairs to her room only to falter when she stepped inside.

"Where are you going?" Kim asked as she walked in with a plate on either hand.

At first Kim thought Ron was walking up to take his own plate from her when she realised he wasn't walking up to her, but rather _past_ her.

"I'll be right back, KP. I just gotta go downstairs and make a few phone calls."

"Oh," Kim said, twirling around as Ron walked past her, "Well you can make them here. You can use my phone if yours is low or something."

"No, no, I'm good," and Ron whipped out his cell from his pant pocket. "I'm just going to hop outside and do some calls, um, better reception, see ya!"

Before Kim could rebuke that she received perfectly good reception in her room, Ron was gone. Pouting slightly, Kim suddenly felt that old weirder of hers inside begin to tremble—it was beginning to whisper to her that Ron was doing something curious again.

-ø-

And the weirder went up a few more points on Monday. After Kim's cheer practice, Ron claimed he had elsewhere to be and even though Kim asked if she could come along, Ron_ insisted_ no. In fact, he wouldn't even tell her precisely where he went.

'Just running an errand,' he had told her.

_But for whom?_ She asked herself, feeling slightly dejected.

Oh well, it didn't matter too much. Ron was back in time for dinner (of course) and lots of spare study and homework time.

Although, the weirdar trembled slightly again when Ron had another errand on Tuesday. But it was Wednesday when things _really_ flew off the scale for Kim for when she awoke that morning in her bed that she had been sharing with Ron ever since he moved in for when she awoke… it was only to realise that he was gone. Kim recalled staring absolutely dumbfounded at the empty space next to her. There was supposed to be a Ron there if memory served her correctly.

Crawling to the other side of the bed, she peered down at Rufus' bed and noticed that he was gone too! She sat down and scratched her head, okay, so… where did they go? They couldn't have gone to class _this_ early? And not without Kim waking them first!

And yet this was still only the beginning. Ron did appear for class, but the state he was in worried Kim. He was very fatigued looking and he flopped into his seat, tapping his head against hers to signal a flimsy 'hi'. Kim said nothing about where might have been since she was more concerned about him at the time.

'At the time' being the keyword, as time _did_ go by and Ron did not appear in the bleachers to watch her cheer practice, which was an abnormality. While Ron was not mascot for TCU, he often sat in the bleachers every practice with a few other friends of the other cheerleaders to sit and watch the practice. Kim told him it was a good time to do his homework but she suspected he often bluffed that.

When practice was over, Kim went and asked some of the people sitting in the bleachers if Ron had been there at all and they all shook their heads no. Perplexed, Kim went to her own dorm and then Ron's just to double check but he was at neither destination. She tried calling his cell but he never picked up.

It was an odd feeling that was inside Kim, that one of not knowing where Ron was. She recognised an emotion inside of herself as something similar to fright. And not only fright but, only to herself would she admit, but she felt a little naked too. She could be away from Ron for awhile, ok, that was fine. But to have him somewhere totally unknown and not knowing when he would return _did_ bother her.

It would be a long time before he would return too, as Kim would realise. For after occupying herself with homework to take her mind off Ron and having nothing left to do, it was at night when things really began to surge the adrenaline inside Kim.

The only light streaming into Kim's room was that of the silvery moon filtering through Kim's thin curtains. The hour was late, into the next day where, as the hours would pass, it would be time for class already. But while all the other girls in the dorm were asleep, Kim Possible was still awake, although her eyes were heavy and her mind weary, she would remain awake nonetheless. She sat in her purple pyjamas, vigilant and sitting on the windowsill as she waited for Ron's motorcycle to roll up into the parking lot.

_Maybe he's not coming back at all to-night_, this thought had crossed her mind countless times by now. It was always followed by: _But where else has he to go?_ And the usual response was: _Why is he coming back so late? Where is he going and why hasn't he told me?_ If Ron wasn't going to return that night at all, then perhaps Kim should just go to sleep. Yet she couldn't when Ron was somewhere unknown and secretive.

In her lap, Kim lifted the Kimmunicator. On screen was a digital map and a red dot that represented Ron. All night, the Kimmunicator had tracked Ron's progress as being all around the downtown Tri-city area and at times even past that. Kim had no idea why.

Sighing with weariness, Kim rubbed her eye and was finally going to turn in. She was about to shut off the Kimmunicator when she recognised the street name Ron was on.

_He's coming back!_

Kim ruthlessly forced her body to stay awake for just awhile longer. She watched the dot that was Ron moving down the street now nearing the University. Soon enough, Kim was able to visually spot Ron's motorbike rolling into the parking lot. Shutting of the Kimmunicator, Kim ran in a flurry to her bedside drawer and stored it inside then ran back to the window just to see Ron disappearing into the building.

She fled out her door and to the second floor's banister, her hair twirling and her heart thumping. Holding her breath, she waited for the sign of Ron…

And there was his blackened form, slowly emerging from the shadows below. Instantly, Kim's feet pattered against the carpet to meet him on the stairs. It was a good thing she did run to greet him for he nearly passed out into her arms the instant she placed her hands on his arms.

"Ron!" she exclaimed in fraught as she aided him up the stairs and into her room. Her voice still hushed she exclaimed, "Why in the _world_ are you just coming in? What have you been doing!"

But Ron didn't respond. He fumbled awkwardly with his belt and Rufus crawled out of Ron's pocket and into his cushion bed. Walking swiftly forwards, Kim undid his belt buckle for him and pulled off his belt, throwing it onto the floor.

"Ro—" She jolted when she saw him already passed out on her bed, glasses still on. Kim flicked on the lamplight on the bedside drawer. It cast a low, yellow light that dimly lit the corner of the room they were in. Kim crawled onto her bed and sat on her legs next to Ron and rubbed his back—more to wake him, than to soothe him. Gingerly, she slipped his glasses off his face and folded them neatly, placing them on the bed stand.

"Ron, wake up, I'm not done talking with you." No response; Kim clicked her tongue. "If you're going to live in my dorm, you can't just come and go at any hour you please! What have you been doing at such a late hour, hah? Why are you keeping this a secret from _me_?"

"Go to sleep."

Kim's jaw slid ajar.

"Did _you_ just tell me to shut up?"

A grunt issued from Ron's lifeless form. His groggy voice said: "I told you to go to sleep." Kim was still unnerved that Ron's tone was so harsh towards her.

"Ron…"

"Go to _sleep_."

Kim sucked on her lips, zipping them shut. Ron gave another groan and lifted himself to haul his body underneath the covers where he buried his head in her pink pillowcases and probably fell asleep altogether, entirely forgetting this conversation with Kim.

But Kim hadn't forgotten. She sat there, still stunned at Ron's demeanour towards her. She wasn't used to having Ron be so short with her and it actually sent some fear through her.

"Ron," she whispered, knowing he wasn't listening, "I still love you…"

And she, too, curled up under the covers, flicking the lamp off and together they lay in darkness. Kim pulled the covers up right up to her chin and shuffled close to Ron. Daringly, she reached out and touched him, frightened that he may bark at her to not touch him. But he didn't speak and he didn't stir so Kim moved closer still, snuggling into Ron's chest— a place where she felt secure enough to drift into a sleep. Although she still didn't know what Ron had been doing or why, at least she was content with the knowledge that he was in bed now with _her_… and not someone _else_.

It would be a different story in the morning.

As what was usual, it was Kim's alarum clock that woke her. Mumbling and garbling the usual incoherent morning nonsense, Kim rubbed an eye with a palm while the other hand slapped the buzzer off. No, she couldn't pull another nighter like that again, it had _not_ done wonders for her sleeping schedule: she had probably only slept a few hours at the most. Already, Kim felt like turning over and dozing back into sleep, perhaps even cuddling with Ron again. Yes, she liked _that_ prospect. Even if he had been asleep, Kim still enjoyed snuggling up close to Ron and feeling his warmth.

But when Kim turned over to wake Ron…

He wasn't there.

Again.

_Now that's a shocker. _Kim's eyes flew open_, He's vanished earlier than me again! But he came back so late and he was so tired and he's a sleep-person too! Since when does Ron wake _before_ me? Heck, when does he awake before the _alarum_ clock! And… where did he go..? The same place as before..?_

Kim pushed herself up and leapt out of bed, toying with her hair, she began to pace the room more anxiously than she had yesterday. Ron was always so grumpy about waking in the morning and she always woke him well before class. What did this early waking have to do with his mysterious late-night hip-hopping around Tri-city?

_Well, it's not like he's not allowed his own space…_ _Okay, so I go to class. He'll be there this time. _Kim narrowed her eyes and flew to her dresser to pull out the day's clothes. _Even if he's somewhere _else_ right now._

Smartly dressed in a candy-blue long sleeved mock-tank shirt and a good pair of flares, Kim crammed her textbooks and binders into her pack and headed for the door. Turning around one last time before locking the door, she noticed that Ron's bag was gone too. Tilting her head, she wondered if, for some reason, Ron really had just gone to class early and something very average had just made him late the day before. If it weren't for his tardiness last night, she might have believed that.

Going down the sorority's stairs, Kim could already hear the loud chatter of the girls lingering in the hall and lounge. Some were doing last minute homework, some were waiting for their frat-boyfriends and others were just milling around and chit-chatting, not really caring if they made it to class on time or not.

"Hey, Kim! See you at cheer practice!" Kim turned around in her walk and saw Jessica waving to her. "See you later, Kim!"

"Byeeee!" Kim waved back.

Heading out the door, Kim instantly felt a cold breeze nip at her arms and play around with her hair that whipped in front of her face. Grabbing her hair, she pushed it back only to have it bounce around again while travelling down the street.

As she neared the University building, the grounds became crowded with students flocking to their classes. Kim stuck to the walkway, but her eyes wandered onto the sea of students… especially with those who were in a couple. Seeing them reminded her of the conversation with Ron at the party about how the way they were.

It was true that she and Ron never used the term 'dating' if someone asked them their connection to one another. It was uncomfortable and nearly insulting. To them, they weren't dating, they were just as they always had been except… 'blossomed', Kim had once used the word for their new feelings towards one another.

In fact it was always difficult to figure out a term for the two of them. Back in September, she had used the word 'friend' for Ron since it was true. But then they realised that 'friend' would leave a door open to have people become interested in one of them (and it was mostly the boys interested in Kim which heavily irritated Ron even if he said nothing).

So what were they? Kim wondered this as she walked down the sidewalk, textbooks in her arms. She thought of Ron elsewhere, somewhere unknown, wherever he was, she wasn't with him and she hoped if he ran into anyone else, he would know what to say if someone was interested in him.

Can't say friend, they weren't 'dating', and on missions he was her sidekick. On campus grounds there had to be a word they could use. Kim had once tried 'he's my friend, but we're together' however they soon learned this could be read as something else. Something neither of them where interested in to the least degree.

_'Companion'? _Kim asked herself, _I could call him that. My…_ she giggled to herself at even daring to think it,_ my 'lover'?_ Again, she chuckled to herself. It was an okay term, but it still didn't really describe them. _We're not just one, we're both._ _I'll have to work on something, that way we won't have any jock-like run ins again. I have to save my save-the-world fighting-action for missions, not for deterring boys! If only we had something to firmly show people what we exactly are…_

Deep in her thoughts, she had nearly forgotten all about Ron and his disappearance, that is, until she reached her classroom and noticed that Ron was not in his seat (nor standing beside her like he usually was). Perplexed, Kim walked up the steps and slid into her seat. She placed a textbook of her own on the seat next to her to mark it as taken for when Ron did arrive.

As fellow students flooded into the room and filled the seats, Kim began to realise that the room was still Ronless and as the last few seats were taken, she came to the conclusion that the _lecture_ might go on Ronless as well!

Agonised, Kim cast frantic looks all around the lecture hall for Ron but even when she double checked for the seventh time, he did not materialise out of thin air. Kim rested her cheek in her palm while wiggling her pen in her right hand. Was he even coming to class? There wasn't any possible way that Kim could sit there for hours and focus on the lecture while Ron was out being Mr Mystery.

The Do-Something flame inside Kim burned inside, it hissed for her to jump out of her seat and make for the door to track Ron down straight away. Brow furrowed, she made little pen spirals on her blank page in her binder and actually considering giving into that fierce whisper when the Professor took in a breath of air to speak…

"Oh and what do we have here?" he drawled.

Perking up, Kim half sat, half stood out of her seat to take a look down on the floor below.

"Nearly late for class again, Mr Stoppable."

"Uh, sorry!" he panted.

Kim narrowed her eyes the instant she saw him. He was flushed and out of breath, obviously this boy and just come from somewhere in a great deal of a hurry at that.

While the Professor gave Ron a dirty look, Ron hopped up the stairs and snaked himself into his usual empty seat next to Kim, shuffling past students as he did so.

"Thanks for saving my seat, KP," he whispered, still a little breathless.

"I nearly gave it up to Nerdly over there."

Ron cast a look behind him in the direction Kim had pointed and was startled to see a very attractive looking young man. "Haha," he replied clearly unamused and turned around to pull out his books. "How clever of you."

"Now class, open your books to page two hundred and five…" the Professor droned from below.

"Care to elaborate on your little disappearance this morning and perhaps your midnight voyage? Like where you _were_ for instance?" Kim whispered.

"Not here," Ron returned with a tired smile. "Now if you don't pay attention and take notes then I'll have to and we really don't want to bother the Linguist Professor at midnight again when we find out my writing isn't legible, right?" He gave her a wink and began writing down what the Professor was going on about below.

Kim's mouth slid open and she stared at Ron as he so blatantly ignored her. Snorting, Kim whipped around and furiously wrote down the notes so mechanically while her thoughts were worlds from the lecture. She was downright indignant to the thought that Ron knew she knew that he knew he was keeping this from her!

_Wait… did I think that right? He knew… I knew… Whatever! He _knows_ that I know he's keeping something from me and he's being so… so…_ Kim slid him a look from the corner of her eyes and felt her rage deflate when her eyes fell onto her lanyard bracelet around her wrist. Her eyes that had been full of fervent fire now were filled with a quiet melancholy. _I thought we shared all of our secrets now… _

It hurt, that's what it was. Her anger, as usual, was a cover for her injured emotions. The last secret between them was supposed to be… The last secret _he_ was supposed to hold from her was his bulimia and that was to be the end of it.

_I'll dig it out of him after cheer practice,_ she thought adamantly. Then with a smirk on her face, she returned to her note taking. Reassuring herself that she _would_ uncover where Ron was going _and_ why _and_ confront him about it.

_We're _together_ now, he knows that. We're so close… we share everything, I need to remind him of that._

After they were done with their classes for the day, Kim found herself walking side by side with her beloved Ron down one of the paths through the campus grounds. It was sunny out now, however this was quite deceptive for the wind still blew through the trees and sent a chill their way. Even so, Kim decided it would be nice to take a small walk, just the two of them before she had to be at cheer practice.

"We haven't walked out here in months, have we, Ron?"

"Since September," Ron nodded.

Kim strolled a little closer to Ron, their shoulders touching. "It's been awhile since we've been outside together."

"And not on missions," Ron added disdainfully.

"And not on missions," Kim agreed. "See, Ron… you and me…"

"Kim…"

"No, Ron, I want you to listen to me. You understand how we are right now, right? Nothing's changed. We're tight, you and me. You know what that means right?"

Was it just Ron or did it suddenly become heated out here in the winter cold? "Kim, I think I kn—"

"No secrets."

"O-oh?" Ron furrowed his brow looking befuddled.

"Ron, it…" Kim lifted her wrist and fiddled with the Ron-given bracelet. She began to blush and stared down in their walk. "It really didn't make me feel good when you didn't answer my questions in class."

"Wha, well, we _were_ in class, Kim—"

"I know you were just teasing when you avoided it, I don't mind… Ron, what I'm trying to say is I just didn't like how I'm worried about where you've been, that's two days now, and I don't understand why you haven't told me. What's the big secret? You're going out, okay… coming back late… _real_ late… ok… I didn't like how you just ignored me when I asked. Having secrets… it… it…"

"Hey, hey, Kimbo, don't get so down." Ron instantly recognised Kim's vibe and realised she really was quite distressed. Ron never ceased to be amazed how Kim could be so tough and resilient all the time and yet could be hurt and vulnerable so easily by small things.

_No,_ he scolded himself, _Not the small stuff, cos it's about _meI_ can upset her easily._

Ron leaned against Kim in their walk and tapped her on the nose. "Don't be so down, it's nothing for you to worry about. I'm not, like, out doing stupid stuff or living a second life or anything like that."

"But _still_," Kim insisted, "You're keeping something from me."

Ron then touched his forehead against hers, "It'll all work out for the best in the end, hah?" When Kim didn't appear convinced, Ron decided to dare a little more information revealing. "Let's just say, I know how to read between the lines," and he tapped the side of his nose adding a sly wink.

This only left Kim with a dumbfounded expression.

Keeping his head high and wrapping an arm around Kim, drawing her close, he looked down at the bracelet around her wrist.

"You _trust_ me, right?"

"If you don't abuse that trust."

"Ooo, smart call to avoid the loopholes!" Ron laughed and squeezed her tighter. "But c'mon, Kim, I wouldn't do that. Would I? Would I say 'trust me' if I didn't mean it?" and he looked down at Kim, straight into her eyes as she looked up at him.

Ron didn't know it at the time, but Kim was in that moment seized with a severely, so _critically,_ troubling emotion unlike any other. A gasp stole Kim's very breath, her eyes flickered and her mouth parted as she remembered the last time Ron had said 'you trust me, don't you?' and what had followed after that.

Ron did _not_ just say 'trust me', did he?

No.

How could he..? How could he say that again? _How could he after— _

Yet…

On one hand, Ron had kept _his_ word however on the other, it hadn't had exactly worked in her favour either. It took everything within Kim to hold back a sudden, small choking sound wishing to escape her mouth. No. Her eyes flickered down for a time less than a second.

"I trust _you_," she said, "But I'm not sure if I trust fate."

How innocently Ron laughed again, tossing his head to one side, his bangs flowing in the breeze.

Even though his laughter could have seem callous to Kim's deeply hidden emotions, his melodic laughter placed a small smile on Kim's face; she leaned against him more.

"You'll be laughing all about this convo in the future, I promise," he grinned. "Like you always say, Kimila," he purred, leaning his face close to hers, " 'We're together'." Then he pressed his lips against hers and Kim bristled in his arms but shared in the kiss anyway.

"You worry more than me," he murmured when they parted.

"Ron," Kim flustered, looking around herself and yet leaning again into Ron's arms and he hugged her closer, amused in her demeanour. "Not in public!"

"Are you embarrassed?" he mocked, embarrassing her further by nuzzling his face in her cheek. "Are you worried someone might see _me_ kissing _you,_" he laughed, attempting to kiss her again.

"_No!_" Kim tried to push away from Ron but didn't put up much of a fight. "Just…"

"Ah," Ron's grin was now ear to ear, releasing Kim from his hold. "PDA not your thing, right?" Looking down at Kim staring at the sidewalk they walked on and her blushing red all across her face told him the truth.

He yawned, "Maybe later."

Kim snorted, lightly fwapping him on the stomach. "If you're _awake_ to-night. I didn't see Ron come back last night, I saw a dead zombie walk in my door."

"Kim, zombies are _already_ dead."

Kim clicked her tongue, "Tchach, whatever, you know what I mean Mister Walking-Dead. I supposed you're going to be all 'Trust me, Kim! Trust me!' again on that too, right?"

"That's up to you," that smile on Ron's face never vanished, "If you decide to bring it up or not."

"I think you already did," Kim retorted, scowling. "When you say… 'I'll laugh later'… Do you mean you'll tell me? Eventually?"

"Well duh."

"Oh!" Kim suddenly composed herself, now walking just a little taller than before. A pleasant smile on her face and she looked at Ron, "Okay. I can deal with that."

"Cool."

There was silence between them which didn't last long. They each slid each other looks when the other wasn't looking, both with a wry smile of knowing on their faces. Unfortunately, they didn't share this same 'knowing' and this neither of them were aware of that.

"So when do I get to know?" Kim prodded as Ron knew she would. She gave a little skip in her walk. "Is it like an early birthday present? It better be good if you're being all 'hush-hush' about it _this_ early."

"If you wanna call it that," Ron replied, "You'll know when you know, that's all."

"Oh, come on, Ron, be a little more clear. This _year_ at least?"

"Yes, this year."

"Half a year?"

"Yes."

"This month?'

"Kim!"

"What!"

Ron shook his head, "You're terrible, you know that? You act so calm and suave on the outside but inside you're just all girly and giddy."

"So not!"

"_Cuddle Buddies_?"

Kim's mouth was an instant 'O' and she sucked in her breath loudly looking downright scandalised. Her hair whipped all around her, nearly slicing Ron's head off as she whipped around frantically, looking all around herself for any other students that could possibly be hiding up in the trees or under that rock or, quite possibly, between those two blades of grass.

"_Not in public!_"

"So that's why you lock your door, huh?" And he said a little loudly, "TO HIDE YOUR RABPHIN AND PANDA—"

"_RON!_" Kim squealed, bouncing on the tips of her toes, she lunged at Ron around the neck and pulled him down to shut him up.

"Ah, my _neck_!" Ron wailed. When Kim finally let him go, casting wary looks all around, Ron straightened his neck, giving a groan. "Coulda just kissed me to shut me up. Heck of a lot painless."

"For _you_," Kim snorted.

Ron stuck out his tongue and laughed silently. He then pulled his cell phone out from the pocket Rufus wasn't in to check the time.

"Hey, Kim, it's been a hoot as always but—"

When Ron had checked the time, Kim had done the same on her wristwatch and let out yet another gasp.

"You're right, Ron!" she alarumed, her arms doing a little chicken flap. "Cheer practice! Thanks for reminding me!"

"Sure, bu—"

"I gotta go get changed still! Look, I'll meet up with you on the field, okay?"

"Hu—"

"You better be there this time! I'll be looking for you in the stands." Kim was going to turn and flee when Ron stuttered and reached out for her. "Oh, and don't worry about the jock guy, Ron, I can take care of him. You'll be fine up in the stands, besides, I don't think the team will be practicing there to-day." Then before Ron could finish his sentence, Kim stood up on the tips of her toes and gifted Ron with a small kiss on his freckled cheek.

Flustered, Ron stood and watched Kim run in the direction of the football field, watching her wave to him happily as she went. He sighed.

As Kim raced across the grounds to the football lockers, she didn't notice Ron slump his shoulders and walk in the opposite direction. Tearing down the ramp and into the building underneath the football stands where the lockers and change rooms were, Kim burst into the rooms just as the last few girls were leaving. One of these girls was Marcella.

"Kim! I thought you weren't coming, you better get a move on."

"I know, sorry!"

"I don't think Lonnie's in a good mood. She was having it out with someone on her cell just awhile ago."

Kim slipped her backpack off and began undoing her shoelaces. "When is she _not_? I'll meet you out there."

"Okay."

Once again in a hurry, Kim stripped out of her clothes and shivered violently, even down here was it chilling. But she didn't have the time to brood about how cold it was; she was in her cheer uniform faster than a goose bump could form. And they did as Kim scurried out the door and up the ramp, cheer pom-poms in hand and joined with the rest of the girls out on the field by some benches. She couldn't wait to begin stretches to warm up.

"Augh. You're _late_, Jess."

"I'm Kim."

"Whatever."

And there was Lonnie, standing in front of the girls in the blue, yellow and black uniform all the girls wore. The skirts were incredibly short, the midriff was open wide and the tops were basically tube tops with invisible plastic straps to hold everything up. Although on the girls, they covered, Lonnie always made sure to tuck hers lower on her chest. It was a wonder she hadn't flashed anyone yet while doing the cheers.

_Or maybe she has and that's why we wear them with invisible straps,_ Kim thought, struggling to hide the grin on her face.

With her arms crossed and her eyes hung lazily, Lonnie continued to chew on some gum, scanning the line of girls. She looked away from them and seemed to exchange a half exasperated, half disgusted look with a non existing person next to her. Kim could hear Bonnie smirking somewhere down the line.

"Shut-up," Lonnie shot at her younger sister. Lonnie placed a hand on one hip and shut the flap on her sleek, paper-thin cell phone closed with a vengeance. "Kay, so we're doing yesterday's routine again. This time get it right, okay? The sooner we get it down, the sooner we can all leave. Next time don't be late. You already missed a ton of practices, no shit, and if you're gonna screw me up, I'll just remove you, got it?"

"Yes, Lonnie," Kim nodded.

"We're the sexiest team there is and you're only on the squad cos you have some damn hot moves otherwise you wouldn't be here since you lack a bust and an ass. You too Marcy."

"Marcella…"

"Whatever. Just come, do your thing and let's all go on to our clubs or wherever it is you freshmen go to."

As Lonnie walked over to a bag and the boom box on the bleacher, Bonnie leaned forwards from the line and sent Kim another devilish look of contentment.

'Lack-a-bust', she mouthed at Kim mockingly.

'Moves-hotter-than-you', Kim mouthed back and Bonnie snorted, flipping her hair in Kim's direction.

"YO!" Lonnie snapped from where she stood by the bleachers. "What am I your freakin' _Mother_? Get to your positions, come on, the hell…"

Instantly the girls rushed into their positions while Lonnie stored her cell phone away and started up the music as the girls all got into position.

Just as the music was about to start, Kim risked a glance behind her in the seats for Ron, he should have definitely been here by now. But as Kim scanned the row of the few people sitting in the bleachers, mostly friends or boyfriends of the cheerleaders, Ron was nowhere amongst them. Again. Kim leapt into action, doing her dances but her mind couldn't stop wondering that same thought that appeared to never go away:

_Where is Ron? _

-ø-

Ron didn't come at all to Kim's practice. Often from time to time, Kim braved looking in the stands behind her for any sight of Ron and every time the view was very much Ronless. Kim was even called out by Lonnie for not looking straight but it hardly bothered Kim.

At the end of practice, Lonnie just dispersed without any last words of encouragement to the girls. Following the girls into the change room, Kim went to dress back into her clothes and especially to reach her Kimmunicator.

Even though Ron had promised to Kim that she would 'find out eventually' and she was supposed to 'trust him', there was still that nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Perhaps it was because that the last time Ron had held a secret from Kim it had been his bulimia, a huge issue that should not have gone hidden as long as it had.

Ron had been so ignorant about his issue back then, not even understanding it was a problem and therefore had no reason to believe that Kim needed telling. This could very well be the same sitch: what if, whatever Ron was withholding from her, _was_ a huge deal again and Ron just didn't understand it? That was a high possibility and it didn't leave Kim with comfortable thoughts.

As she walked out of the lockers, backpack on one arm, she held out the Kimmunicator and flicked on Ron's tracer screen. From what she saw on screen, wherever he was, he wasn't anywhere on campus and that set a tight feeling in Kim's stomach. So she widened the map to all of Tri-City where she eventually found his dot.

_H'mm… _

Whatever he was doing off campus, he wasn't moving much, it looked like he was remaining solely in one position.

Wondering what he was doing, a thought came to her and she stopped walking abruptly.

_Should I..? _

_Should I go and see what he's doing?_ She paused, sucking on her lips. _He… he never said I _couldn't_ find out or that it _is_ a secret. He just said I'd find out _eventually_. Maybe he means I'll find out… _eventually_… on my _own_. Like maybe… now. Now could be eventually, right?_

It was something Kim desperately desired to do. She felt that old burning flame inside her roaring at her to just go and do it. That charging, take action voice inside her screamed: YES, YES, _YES!_ But then… the bracelet on her wrist said…

_How about… how about I just go and see what he's up to, that's okay. Make sure he's safe. Make sure it's no… like, bulimia or Fearless Ferret secret here. Yea, that's ok! I'm just making sure he's A-OK! It's what any good friend would do. But… I can't have him know so… _

It was time for a disguise.

Kim ran, fists slinging at her sides, towards her dorm. It was obvious that she couldn't wear anything of her own. If Ron even caught a _glimpse_ of her from the corner of his eye he would recognise her in a flash; he was with her twenty-four seven basically and knew her entire wardrobe. And yet Kim was _so_ not up to going in some Hallowe'en costume. But she wouldn't need to wear one, for she had an idea.

Running through the door way, she briefly called out her 'hi's' and 'hey's' to the girls who waved to her. Kim tore up the stairs, feet pitter-pattering on the carpet as fast as a motor-machine, and up to the third floor where a girl from Lowerton High School had come from.

Sucking in her breath, Kim tucked her fingers into her long sleeve before rapping on the girl's door. She waited, then finally she heard movement on the other side of the door. Opening the door was a girl one would think wouldn't _be_ in a sorority, but rumour had it, she was the cousin of the sorority's head.

A girl with blazing pink, spiked hair, army boots, cameo pants, nose ring, earrings, lipring and every other ring you could think of stood in front of Kim. She looked at Kim through half-held eyes, seemingly unimpressed.

"Um, hi," Kim grinned nervously at first, but then confidence overcame her and she placed her hands on her hips, a devious smile following suit. "I was wondering if I could borrow some of your _clothes_." And she told the girl what she had to offer in exchange.

The girl's eyes lit up.

When Kim was dressed and out the door, waiting at the bus stop, she could have been punk-girl's sister. Well, minus the hair and… rings.

Kim stood in a pair of cameo pants, army boots and a tight, black t-shirt that had some death metal band logo on it; Ron would _definitely_ not recognise Kim in _this_ get-up under any circumstances. Kim's own personal touches were a pair of darkened sunglasses to hide her eyes along with her hair tucked under a I HEART NICKY-NICK baseball cap she had scrounged from another girl in the sorority. Sure, the girly pink didn't match the rest, but its slogan was only the final touch to _ensure_ that Ron would never spot her.

And to achieve this get-up, Kim knew anti-social Punk-Girl wouldn't be willing to offer up her clothes for free, even if Kim only intended on wearing them for one day and this was something she had anticipated. So before knocking on punk-girl's door, Kim had made a quick call, a quick _favour_ to be precise. In exchange for the clothes, Kim offered Punk-Girl a backstage concert pass to the very band whose logo was resting upon Kim's chest. (Kim had done them a favour once.) Yes, Punk-Girl would have offered _any_ article of clothing for that.

Standing at the bus stop, Kim had the Kimmunicator out again and was mapping Ron's whereabouts. So far he was in the exact same place he had been earlier while Kim had been leaving cheer practice. As she trudged in her thick and weighty army boots onto the bus that arrived, she still couldn't tell _where_ Ron was although she knew he was somewhere on Taskin Street and that was all Kim needed to know for now. Once she arrived on Taskin Street, she would be able to locate Ron by the little red dot on the Kimmunicator.

No-one on the bus wanted to sit anywhere near Kim and this she noticed. _Usually boys _want_ to sit near me. Maybe I should wear stuff like this all the time, _she giggled, _Except that I would probably scare Ron away too!_

The bus ride was nearly twenty minutes away from campus when Kim arrived at her stop. Hopping off the bus, Kim walked blindly down the sidewalk as she stared only at the Kimmunicator gripped in her hands. Her shoulders touched no-one in her blind walk as, again, people took wide swerves in their walk when they came near Kim.

_Turn left up here…_ Her clunky feet sped faster into a quick jog, sometimes stumbling on the platforms, as she neared Ron's secret hideaway… Suddenly a flurry of possibilities came to mind, some of which were downright ridiculous, but still…

"A bakery?"

Kim stood in front of the building where Ron's tracer was coming from. The Kimmunicator was now hanging limply in Kim's hand and her mouth was slid slightly ajar. She fought to understand what Ron was doing here this whole time but, shaking away the thoughts, she decided to investigate regardless.

Pulling the rim of her baseball cam down further for reassurance in her disguise, she boldly pushed her way into the bakery and right when she entered, she was very nearly pushed back out!

"Ergh!" Kim grunted as she struggled to wiggle and squeeze through one of the thickest crowd of people Kim had ever been in (and that was saying something!). Her super-spy sunglasses were very nearly knocked right from her face as she fought to part herself from these crazy bakery-shoppers. At one point Kim was stuck between three people's backs and her feet were actually off the ground! During this moment of height vantage, she surveyed the bakery floor, looking for Ron—his blonde hair and messy cowlick—but he was nowhere to be seen— there were only insane shoppers and harried clerks here.

With much push and pull, Kim finally freed herself from the crowd and into a small space between the crowd and behind the counter. Breathing heavily, Kim pulled the Kimmunicator from her pocket (and downright thankful that it hadn't been lost in the fray) to double check Ron's whereabouts.

Yup, still coming from somewhere… "In the back," she murmured. But how in the world was she going to be allowed back there? Kim tugged on her hat rim again making sure it was covering her face and tucked in some stray hair that had found its way loose.

Sucking in her breath and keeping her head slightly down, she walked boldly behind the counter and walked straight for the doorway where the back hallway was… where _Ron_ was.

"Um, excuse me?" Kim froze and lifted her head, facing a rather frazzled looking employee. "You can't come back here. Behind the counter is for staff only."

"I'm," Kim cleared her throat, "I'm looking for the bathroom."

The employee gave Kim an incredulous look, "The bathroom isn't for customers. You'll have to try somewhere else."

"Uh, really?" Kim asked, completely winging it, "Because she said I could," and she pointed to an employee on the floor being drowned by a sea of begging customers.

"Did she?" the employee looked a little shocked. Then she sighed, "She was probably saying 'yes' to someone else…"

"_Please_?" Kim pleaded. "It's, uh... y'know… _'girl stuff'_ a little bit of an 'emergency'," and she nodded for extra emphasis.

"Hey, Maria!" a voice from the cash register called the employee's name. "What are you _doing_ over there! Have you gotten that garlic bread or not? We've got people waiting here!"

To agonise the employee further, Kim sent her another pleading look. "Oh, alright then!" The employee shooed Kim in the direction of the hallway, "But don't take long!"

"Sure, thanks," Kim flashed the employee some teeth and scuttled towards the back just in case the employee decided to change her mind.

Turning the corner, Kim halted to catch her breath and take in her surroundings and… sounds? Now that Kim had distanced herself from the hustle and bustle of the bakery floor, more sounds— _different_ sounds— came to Kim's ears. It was a constant clatter of metal objects and there was also chatting voices that she heard. Perking up, she directed her ears to the source of the sound and it was coming from that doorway on the left down the hall…

Curiously, Kim craned her neck as she noticed light coming from this open doorway. Looking around her one last time, Kim padded her way cautiously down the hall while her ears strained to form words from the conversation she was nearing. Reaching the doorway and back pressed against the wall, Kim slid a look around the corner and…

It was the bakery's kitchen! Of course, it had to be! Not only was there the usual kitchen clatter that was the noise she had heard and crackly music coming from a radio, but there was a delicious _smell_ issuing from the room as well. It was so intense and enrapturing, curling all around Kim and hugging her gently that she very nearly followed her nose right into the room but vigilantly caught a hold of herself just in time after she nearly stumbled over her own toes.

Forcing her mind to focus on the mission at hand, Kim directed her attention to the two people in the kitchen; one a girl who was whisking batter in a bowl and the other, Ron, who was kneading some dough with one hand while writing in his binder with the other.

This_ is what Ron's been doing? _Kim's eyes were wide and she blinked numerous times.It wasn't that it was entirely incredulous to _image_ Ron working in a bakery it was really more… _why? _

Why was he working when he obviously didn't need to? He was in the middle of University for goodness sakes, no, not the _middle_ of—in the _beginning_ of! And if he _was_ so intent on having a job…

_Why hasn't he told me?_ Kim felt herself wilt a touch inside. _Why's he keeping this a secret from me? Has he been working here all the way until four in the morning? That doesn't make any sense… _

Kim stood behind the wall and continued to watch Ron kneading the dough roughly and bending over, writing in his text book. If Kim squinted and focused closely on Ron, she bit her lower lip and noticed that his eyes had rings under them. His eyes looked sore as if he was all set to take a nap right there and the only thing keeping him from not sleeping was the repetitive task of kneading that dough. Yet even so, he still appeared alert and very aware of what he was doing despite those dead beat eyes.

Just then a bell rang and the girl called to Ron, "Can you get the oven?"

"Hang on…" Ron murmured as he finished scribbling down something in his notebook.

"Don't let it burn," the girl advised, "You know we're busy out there, Ruthie won't be pleased if we botch up in here."

Ron dropped his pencil and hopped over to the oven where he tugged on some mittens and diligently pulled out the most scrumptious looking muffins Kim had ever seen. Gasping under her breath, her eyes started to glaze over as she stared at the muffins for they were so… so perfect in colour and they appeared beyond soft and… Wow, Kim actually found herself wanting to scheme a way to snatch one for herself.

Ron's laughter was what brought Kim's mind back to reality. He placed the tray of muffins on a rack, "There's no way she'd fire me. She absolutely _melted_ when I did my first baking here. You and me, we're like _gold_ to her."

The girl returned the laughter, now pouring the batter into an oven pan. "I just wish she'd hire more of us so we're not so busy back here."

"Are you kidding?" Ron snorted, "Then we'd get less pay. Nu-uh."

"Every time, it always seems to be about money with you, Ron."

"Well, you see, it's actually—"

"Angel! Ron!"

All three of them shot up, Angel, Ron and the hidden Kim all alert to the sound of someone approaching…

_Shoot!_ Kim hit full-speed as she barely glimpsed the shadow of one of the employees nearing the hallway. Instantly Kim became a blur dashing across the doorway of the kitchen to which both Angel and Ron recoiled. They both noticed, but not know what the heck that blur _was_. Kim continued to streak as fast as she could. The bathroom was at the very end of the hallway and right as she placed a hand on the doorknob Kim heard another cry and this one was for _her_.

"Hey! You! Stop! What are you doing back here!"

But Kim didn't respond. She locked herself inside the bathroom just in time as both Ron and Angel peered out of the kitchen to see this alleged person.

"What's going on?" Angel asked, her voice tight with alarum.

"Did you see who that was?" the employee asked harshly, her feet storming strictly towards the bathroom where Kim huddled inside. "The person was dressed suspiciously too! Baseball cap and dark sunglasses; dressed like a punk too!"

Ron gasped, his voice still sounded far away where as the employee was right outside the door… Appalled, Kim realised she could see her shadow in front of the crack under the door.

"D'you think it was a recipe thief!" Ron asked, sounding panicked, "I didn't see anyone, did you, Angel?"

"No, I didn't! We were baking but we didn't see anyone come in…"

"Hey!" Suddenly a banging fist berated the door, snapping Kim's head back to the door. She inched her way further into the corner anxiously. "I know you're in there! Come out! Come out here right now and explain yourself!" There was more abusive door treatment.

Adrenaline surged inside Kim and, gasping for air to still her thrumming heart, she found herself unusually terrified. Something like this shouldn't send such fear inside her, so what if she was caught? But no, that wasn't what had Kim nervous and feeling cornered. It was really because _Ron_ was on the other side and if _he_ found out she had been spying on him… Yes, _that_ is what made Kim gulp when the employee announced:

"I'm going to get the bathroom key. You two watch the door and make sure the girl doesn't make a bolt for the door."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Angel stuttered and there was no response from Ron.

Wringing her fingers, Kim wondered if Ron was becoming suspicious. _He could just have nodded,_ Kim reassured herself silently. But whatever his response, she could_ not_ be caught! Not with Ron there! _Alright, gotta think of a plan here, Possible…_

Pushing herself out of her corner, Kim surveyed the tiny, darkened bathroom for any means of escape. It was so cramped inside, the sink next to the toilet with a small space for a garbage bin; there was only a few steps between the toilet and the door. There wasn't anyway she could get out of there unless she started to dig and dig mighty fast at that. Could she possibly keep her head down and blunder down the hallway hoping none of her trademark red hair would slip out? Was that _really _her only choice? Just as Kim felt the wave of despair inside her and prepare herself for the bolt, she noticed something else—

There!

_Wow. Now _that's_ convenient._ There, right above the toilet, was a very small, very rectangle window. If there was ever a time when Kim required a loophole like that, it was now. _Up and out, Kim!_ _And fast!_

So Kim scrambled onto the top of the toilet taking care not to have her foot slip into the hole as Ron's once did two years ago at school. (Aah, the antics that had ensued during the hand-holding time together!) Grunting, she stood on the toilet top and grabbed the handle to push the window open but… _Ergh…_The window was old, dirty, and probably hadn't been opened in forever so, naturally, it was _jammed_.

Kim grunted with all her skinny-arm might to shove that window open. Teeth gritted, she pushed and scrunching her eyes tight and pushed, forced more upper strength into her arm and pushed and put _more_ strength into her arms as much as she could muster and _pushed_…

"Aaaaaaah!" Kim wailed loudly as she gave one last 'and push' that lodged the window open and out she tumbled right out! At least she was only on the first floor otherwise the land on her head would have done some serious damage.

"Oohhhh…" she groaned miserably, making a feeble wiggle in an attempt to make sure nothing was broken. "Ohhh, my back, my arms, my legs…" Kim was going to lay back her head and take a moment to rest when from inside the bathroom, she heard the faint sound of keys jingling…

Grunting, Kim hauled to her feet as fast as her aching body permitted her to. But where to go! What if they looked out the window? She spotted a bunch of cardboard boxes near a dumpster to her right so she hobbled to the other side and hid in a heap behind there hoping they wouldn't send someone looking for her out here. Sucking in her breath and resting, she could still hear their voices…

"She must have gone out this window!"

"Highly suspicious."

"Do you see her out there? She said one of the girls allowed her to go to the bathroom."

"Maybe she's hiding behind the dumpster."

Kim viciously sucked in her breath.

"No, that's too obvious, are you kidding? She's probably an expert recipe thief and is being driven away in a get-away car as we speak!"

"No way!"

"Way! You know, there were some recipe thieves that broke into a factory a few years ago. It was a not-too bright guy and a girl with glowing green hands. I bet it was her. But Kim Possible stopped her from making off with the recipe."

"I wish Kim Possible had been here to stop her. At least the thief didn't get away with anything, right? I'll double check."

Kim exhaled when she heard the gruff sound of the window closing shut. That had been a close call, who knew spying on your best friend to find out where they've been sneaking to at night was this much of an adventure?

_Wait a minute, that's right! He was out till the early morning! He couldn't have been _here_ this whole time. No bakery runs that late. He's obviously going elsewhere too…Maybe this _isn't_ the big secret! Yea! Because he had been going _all around_ Tri-city! H'mm…_

"Huh?"

Her ears perking, she heard voices again but this time, it was coming from somewhere nearby. And up. Looking upwards, she saw another row of small, rectangular windows. Clambering onto the dumpster, she spotted Ron and Angel through one of these windows. They were inside the kitchen and had returned to their baking.

"I wonder why someone would want to steal our recipes," Angel was mentioning, putting that oven pan of batter into the oven to cook. "At least she didn't make off with anything."

"Yea," Ron was saying. Kim felt herself shiver when she recognised an oddly distant tone in his voice. "It was a little eventful. You didn't see the girl at all, right?"

"No, I didn't, not even a glimpse. Heck, I didn't even know there _was_ a girl there. I hope she doesn't come back again to-night. I'll be working here all alone..."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could extend my stay here, I love working here but I can't. I gotta leave here at five or I'll be late."

"No, it's okay, Ron! I didn't mean it to sound like I was harping on you or anything. How's your homework coming along?"

Ron laughed nervously, "Now thatcha mention it I would like a little bit a help on this one here…"

Kim watched as Angel poured some flour into a new bowl and stirred it while looking over Ron's homework. "Oh! Sure, see…"

Kim pulled away and leaned against the wall next to the window. So he _was_ going somewhere else after this, _I knew it! But where..? _Kim looked down at her wristwatch. Ron stated he leaved here at five.

_We've got ten more hours until Ron comes back to my dorm,_ Kim thought with exasperation.

It would be some time until Ron finished his shift here so Kim decided to wait, hidden, for him at the front door of the bakery. Sliding off the dumpster, Kim made her way to the front where she lingered under a bush shack, keeping an eye on her watch, the Kimmunicator now open again to occupy her time by idling away on the internet.

Only when the Kimmunicator began to make a different beeping sound than usual did Kim realise hours had actually passed by as she had sat on that bus bench. The Kimmunicator's beeping was indicating Ron's tracer was moving in a wider range now—meaning he would be leaving work.

Looking up, Kim spotted Ron heading out the front door of the bakery with his jacket collar pulled up high against the January breeze. Kim poked her nose around the corner of the bus shack to watch Ron jog into the parking lot, hands in his pockets and head to his motorbike.

Ron rode out of the parking lot and Kim sunk deeper into the corner of the bus shack, one hand again pulling her cap rim low so he drove past her obliviously. She allowed him to drive away, following him by means of his tracer on the Kimmunicator once again. Once he arrived at his new destination could Kim would then catch-up to him. She sat down on the bench and hunched over the screen and observe his tracer obsessively.

About another fifteen minutes later, Kim was still staring down at the Kimmunicator. Sighing, she wondered if Ron would _ever_ reach his destination when finally, he went into a building and his tracer only moved around in very small increments.

_He's there,_ _then so am I._

Standing up, she waited by the bus sign-post waiting for a bus to pull up to the stop. When one arrived, Kim hopped it, taking a seat and all the while she kept an eye on the digital map in hand.

At one point during her travels to Ron's new destination, she hopped the wrong bus and then went too far and had to take another bus to backtrack. It was a good thing she had a student pass or this would have cost her some serious change money. _Why can't Ron have worked in _Middleton_ where I_ know_ the area? _But as much as she was anticipating arriving at Ron's new goal, she wasn't in a hurry since she could now confirm positively that Ron had reached his destination recently. He was still moving about in that very small space.

_A store,_ Kim told herself when she walked off the bus and found herself in front of the Tri-City mall. Aggravated, she thought that it shouldn't have been _this_ hard to find her way _here_, somewhere so common as the _mall_? Shame to her.

_Maybe he's working in a department store?_ She pondered as she headed in the front doors.

When she stepped inside, she suddenly felt unfamiliar with her surroundings and it then occurred to her that she had never actually been in the Tri-City mall yet. _Heh, what a way to learn my way around the city! _For some reason, everything felt far more grand than the mall back in Middleton. The lights, could they be brighter? And everything was just so… _clean_. Not that Middleton's mall was in any way dirty, it was just… Well, if this was Tri-City's mall, she couldn't imagine what _Upperton's_ mall would be like. Kim actually had to squint from time to time, it was so bright and _white_ all around.

Slightly rattled, Kim forced her legs forwards, trying to locate the store where Ron's tracer was coming from. _I need some cookie crumbs to leave myself a trail otherwise I'm going to get lost here…_

"So…" she murmured when she found the store Ron was at. It was… "Pet store," Kim mused to herself. Bakery? Pet store? Why did none of these shock her? _Come on, Ron, you can tell me you're working at these places! The way you kept it all hidden you made me wonder if you were working it up at a brothel or something, gosh._

At that thought, she scowled at a non-present Ron. So pushing her sunglasses up her nose and scooting into the store, she tucked the Kimmunicator into her pocket just in case Ron spotted her first and recognised her little handheld device. After all, should Ron notice her, she doubted he would believe that she was her own evil twin and stole the Kimmunicator to track him down and kidnap him. Well, on the other hand he just might…

Constantly alert and heedful, Kim was observing left and right for Ron as she stalked down the aisles. There was so much to look at in this pet store, everything seemed to snag her attention for the corner of her eyes and it was increasingly putting her on the edge. But as she walked down these aisles, she hadn't come across him until she finally reached the back of the store where the aquariums were. It was there that she heard his voice coming from the small tunnel of fish tanks reaching from floor to ceiling.

"The blue one?" she heard his voice. For some reason his voice sounded overly-pleasant and cheerful.

Cautiously, Kim crept around the loop and spotted Ron standing on a stool as he fished inside a tank with a net. Now Kim understood why Ron had spoken in such a voice, there was a little kid with her parents standing nearby. The little girl was holding up a plastic bag filled with water. The scenario made Kim tense up.

"There you go," Ron smiled, placing the little blue betta into the girl's plastic bag. "Let me just seal that up for you."

The girl reluctantly handed Ron her fish and he carried the bag over to a counter where he tied the bag with a rubber band and wrote into a log book. Ron pulled off a sticker from a roll and stuck it to the bag then handed the parents a notice or receipt of some kind.

"Just take that to the front desk and they'll charge you," he nodded.

It was a good thing the lights were kept low for the fish as there were no corners to hide behind in the aquarium. It was probably what saved her when Ron walked right by Kim and over to a sink where he washed his hands. Well, perhaps not dark enough.

"Oh, can I help you?" Ron asked to Kim's back. She froze.

"No," she replied gruffly, hoping all of her hair was still tucked under her cap. She shuffled more so her back was squarely facing Ron and looked down as if observing some fish near the floor.

His voice soundly a little puzzled. "Alright, I'll be in the back so just call me if you want anything."

Kim nodded rigorously and only turned around when she heard Ron's footsteps disappearing. Exhaling, she counted herself lucky for barely escaping being caught for a _second_ time.

_I'm a _crime fighter_ not a spy and I'm glad for it. You have too many heart attacks with this spy stuff. _Kim patted her chest right over her heart as she turned around. Kim wasn't too sure what she should do next, whether she should wait out Ron in the mall again or continue to spy on him in the pet store. After all, she knew where he was now and hanging out here in this small workspace of Ron's, she was _bound_ to be caught.

_Besides_, Kim smiled cattishly to herself. _I'm in a brand NEW _mall_. It's time to put the _investigation_ part of my new spy skills to use._ Kim was walking by a series of fish tanks when something caught her eye. She noticed that just between the top of the fish tank and the shelf above it, there was a gap where Kim could see into the back of the store: where Ron was. Because… it was Ron she saw.

Curiously, Kim stood on a stool on the tips of her feet and clung to one of the fish tanks for one last spy on Ron. Straining to look over the top of the tank, Kim noticed Ron sitting at a desk, a hand on his head, a pen in the other. He was hunched over, none other than, his homework that he must not have finished while working at the bakery. Rufus observed next to him, his little mole-rat hands held behind his back.

Kim pitied Ron when she saw that familiar look of frustration cross his face and he licked his lips, a sure sign of struggling with the homework. If only she could help him… with _two_ jobs, Ron would definitely have to fit some cram time in at work.

Ron let out a struggled sigh and leaned back in his chair. He covered his face in his hands as he stretched his head back and slumped further into his seat. Tapping his pen on the edge of the table, he shook his head and reached into his pocket. Ron reached for his cell phone and hit a button…

_BEEP-BEEP BEEPBEEP!_

Kim's eyes had no eyelids; her eyes were _so_ wide with _utter_ shock.

_BEEP-BEEP BEEPBEEP!_

"_Noooo!_" Kim hissed under her breath and made to wrestle with her pocket for the Kimmunicator so she could shut it off. Ron was dialling _her_ number! Kim cursed under her breath and fumbled further; her eyes darted everywhere! To her pants, to Ron who was looking up… did he hear the Kimmunicator! And then... and then she was _so_ frazzled that… that she began to lose her footing on the stool and…

"AAAH!"

"What the—"

Kim was going to fall but instinct took hold of her and she reached out for the first thing he could grab only… that 'first thing' was the fish tank and, of course, she took it down with her. The poor, poor fish.

"MY FISHIES!" Ron screamed from behind the tanks and tore from his seat when the fish tank crashed to the ground.

Water, rocks, fish and Kim fell to the floor, glass too, it cracked, but, thankfully, it did not shatter. The water surged everywhere, it was a good forty galleons too and the water hit Kim in a short brutal wave that floored her to her stomach again. The rocks scattered all over the floor along with the scarred fish wiggling and flopping on the floor, each one gasping for life.

Soaking wet and in a hurry to disappear, Kim struggled to her feet in an attempt to escape, but her feet gave way thanks to the slippery rocks and she fell again, slamming her chin painfully onto the floor.

From behind, Kim could tell Ron was just a few feet behind her and could definitely see her. Still, she had to get away…

"My fish, my fish," Ron moaned and Kim heard Rufus mimicking Ron, both of them in ultimate distress. It seemed like he was more distracted by his dying fish than this injured stranger that caused the chaos. "Get a tank, get some bags— get _something_, Rufus!"

"On it!"

"What happened, I…" Ron was panting and gasping. It was obvious he had no _idea_ what to do first: torn between caring for the fish and seeing if this customer was okay— _and_ how the heck something like this happened in the first place! "Are you okay? What happened…"

But Kim was on her feet, her hip afflicting her into a limp as she hobbled away as fast as she could, doing her best to stuff some of her freed hair back under her cap.

Ron _had_ to have recognised her by now, he wasn't _that_ dense but when Kim caught his reflection in a hanging mirror, she noticed he was just far too frantic over saving the fish's lives. The questions he was asking her vaporised as he fell to his knees. Rufus was bringing Ron a bag but Ron left his pet to gather what fish he could in the bag while Ron went to fetch a larger bucket under the sink.

Right when Kim was making her getaway, an employee of the pet store shoved past Kim so roughly that it knocked her unstable feet to the floor again and she cursed the man spitefully for adding another bruise to her growing collection.

"STOPPABLE," the man barked in a voice that could contest Mr Barkin's. "WHAT HAPPANED HERE?"

"I… It's not my fault! This… this person, I was in the back and…"

"THAT'S NOT FISH ON THE FLOOR. THAT'S _MY MONEY_."

"I," Ron flustered, he seemed to be gasping for air more than the dying fish on the floor. "I'm sorry, I… please…"

"STOPPABLE, YOU'RE FI—"

Kim may have spied on Ron's secret life. She may have gotten him into trouble. And she may have given him a real panic attack, but she would not, absolutely would _not_ stand by and let Ron have the heat for something _she_ did. So…

Standing up with one hand on her bruised hip to steady herself, Kim reached forwards and, quite casually and purposefully (she uttered a small apology for any fish she was going to do harm to) brought down another fish tank.

_SMASH!_

"WHAT THE—"

"See!" Ron cried, "See! It wasn't me, it wasn't— _NO!_ NO, NOT MY OTHER FISHIES!"

Ron lunged forwards, splattering onto the wet floor as he grappled to snatch some of the fish dancing into the air to save their lives.

"Ruuuuufffffuuuuuuuusssss!" Ron wailed. "I… I'm not still fired…" Ron gasped, looking up at his boss as his hands went madly for the fish and dumped what he could of them into the bucket Rufus pushed over.

"WHAT? NO. OF COURSE NOT. WHO… WHO DID THAT. YOU. _YOU COME BACK HERE! I NEED TO TAKE A PHOTO OF YOU AND BLACKLIST YOU._"

"And charge you!" Ron added.

"AND ESPECIALLY CHARGE YOU FOR THE DOLLAR DAMAGE."

"I meant a murder charge for my fish…"

But Kim had already thrown herself into the air and was the fastest person with a limp there'd ever been. Miraculously, she left the pandemonium without being caught and didn't stop hobbling like an old lady in desperate need of a cane until she reached the food court which was very nearly on the other side of the massive mall.

Kim flung her wet self into the seat and groaned. Pulling her cap off, she wrung her hair, a large puddle forming on the ground. And these weren't even her clothes either, at least they were only wet and didn't smell of fish.

Flicking her hands dry, Kim reflected on her day's progress. So far, she had been accused of stealing bakery recipes, fallen on her head out the window, caused a flood and dollar damage to a pet store, not to mention she probably became a fish murderer that day. _Oh, oh and don't forget I've been spying on my best friend because I don't trust him when he asked me to. _

Kim let out a wince when she had moved just an inch and her hip screamed NO. _I so deserve all this. And the day's not even done yet._ What other pains would be awaiting her as punishment for her deceit? Disgusted with herself, she pulled out the Kimmunicator from her pocket and opened Ron's tracer map. He was still in the pet store, probably becoming The Fish Saviour or something.

Kim shook her head, dropping the Kimmunicator onto the table in front of her next to her cap. Why was Ron working two jobs anyway? Why not just work at the bakery? What in the world was compelling Ron to have _two_ jobs?

"No…" Kim murmured and remembered that _all_ malls close at nine o'clock on Fridays.

_That means if Ron's to come back in the early morning, he has another job after this! Doesn't that crazy boy just stop? He's still got that one where he's going all around town!_ Kim pulled an incredulous look. _I don't get it! I'm finding out the where, but I'm no closer as to the _WHY

Shaking her head, Kim crossed her arms, hugging her soggy shirt and grimaced at the thought of sitting here in these drenched clothes for hours. Maybe she should go back to her dorm to change…

Then her sour mood instantly brightened. Sitting up, a new thought crossed Kim's mind and that Chesire grin returned.

_Or, _Kim slid out of her seat with ease, pocketed the Kimmunicator and slapped her cap back onto her head. "Or I could just go and _shop_ for some new clothes."

And Kim ran across the food court, skipping a few steps even in those clunky army boots, towards Club Banana staring her right in the face. So maybe the day wasn't entirely downhill after all!

-ø-

Kim very nearly forgot about tracking Ron for she had been so consumed with shopping and browsing the Tri-City mall to the fullest extent. She was on the third floor of the mall in yet another hip, trendy clothing store when an announcement came from overhead in the mall. Since Kim was near the front of the store she was able to catch the announcer broadcasting that the mall would be closing in fifteen minutes.

_Fifteen minutes!_ Kim placed the cute green-pink pattern dress-top back on the rack and dashed out into the mall with her numerous shopping bags swinging at her sides. Flurrying to a nearby bench, Kim buried through her packages for the Kimmunicator to check on Ron's tracer. The Kimmunicator was buried underneath a pile of shirts she had bought for a reasonable deal (without having them on sale because that would be tacky, of course). According to the Kimmunicator, Ron was still in the pet store, Kim gave a sigh of relief.

His shift would probably end in the hour so Kim pocketed the Kimmunicator this time and dug further into her bags for the I HEART NICKY-NICK baseball cap and sunglasses. (Like she was about to wear _that _while shopping at the best-known stores!)

Unfortunately, although Kim's clothing had changed, she hadn't been able to buy a new pair of shoes so she was still stuck in those army clunkers which very visibly clashed with her outfit. But at least if Ron should spot her (forbid it) then he wouldn't think he was being stalked by some punk with a style-identity crisis. Glancing at her watch, Kim walked swiftly to the escalator and headed outside.

She found a little niche outside the mall entrance that was closest to the pet shop away from the loitering smokers and monitored Ron's movement. And, five minutes after nine o'clock, Ron was out of the store, walked right past Kim and headed for his motorbike for his _new_ destination. It was dark out already and Kim had to pull down her shades a little to watch Ron ride out of the parking lot. Once he was gone from side, she again referred to the Kimmunicator.

She was mildly surprised that Ron hadn't gone far at all. He was already at his new destination for his little dot on screen now moved only in the tiniest of increments as it had in the pet shop and bakery.

_Alright,_ Kim sighed, beginning to feel weary. Not only was this turning out to be a _long_ day, but her body had still not forgiven her for the havoc she had been wrecking on it all day. She only made a half a step forwards when she realised she wouldn't even have to take a bus to wherever Ron was. In fact, Kim stared at the screen and double checked, where Ron had gone… was just down the street!

So off Kim went, walking as fast as she could in the night to where Ron was next. Hopefully this would be it for the day so Kim could return to her dorm before Ron and rest herself. That shopping spree hadn't actually been _that_ much of a relaxation in a practical sense than as a 'stress relief'.

Down the street sidewalk Kim speed-walked, passing zooming cars with their headlights blaring into her eyes until she came to a pizza place. _He's making pizzas too?_ She wondered. Shrugging, she was right about to open the front doors when someone on the other side opened the doors which smacked Kim right in the face, knocking her backwards and onto her ever-sore rear.

Moaning, she felt the hand of a stranger helping to pull her up. Dusting herself, she was about to murmur a thanks when from the top of her eyes just over the rim of her sunglasses did her heart have a seizure.

"I'm so sorry," Ron blustered, "A-are you okay, ma'am?"

_'MA'AM'?_

But Kim took a hold of her dignity and remembered to keep her head _down_. To Ron's response, she nodded, trying to slip into the restaurant doors without Ron noticing her. She succeeded in brushing past him roughly and through the doors then around the corner to hide, Ron watching her, perplexed, as she sidled past him suspiciously; he didn't follow her. Exhaling with a sigh of relief, it came to her mind then that it _was_ Ron who went past her and _that_ meant he was on the move again!

Whipping around, Kim slammed her palms onto the glass door as she watched Ron ride away again on his motorbike. Just as Kim was about to think he might have come here for a (very) quick bite to eat, her eyes darted to the pizza box in the heat-warming bag strapped to the back of the cycle.

Recoiling, Kim yanked the Kimmunicator out from her pocket and watched Ron's red dot drive down the street. Kim's mouth formed an 'o'.

That's_ why he was hip-hopping all around Tri-City last night! He doesn't make pizzas at this place, he's a _delivery boyKim glanced at her watch and realised it was only nine twenty-one. _Does… does that mean Ron's going to be out delivering pizzas all the way into the early morning?_ She asked herself, stunned.

Her face fell, _Ron… you're doing too much… three jobs? _Three_? And into the early morning then classes then…_ Kim was beginning to catch on. _That's why Ron was gone this morning when I woke up. I bet he was at another job. Four! Four jobs…_

Kim reached a trembling hand and placed her finger on a small rain drop that had just hit the glass door. _The only reason you could be doing this is because you need the money. Something your parents won't get you. Was something wrong with the motorbike and you have to pay a bill? Is it for a student loan? But why now? So abruptly… This is so drama here, Ron, no wonder you came home so depleted and why you slept in class. Oh, Ron, why? I want to help you…_

But Kim knew there was nothing she could do for him right at that moment and there wasn't any way she could follow Ron around town while he did his pizza deliveries. Besides, with the luck she was having that day, she might cause Ron to be in a car accident or, actually going on what had happened to Kim all that day, _Kim_ would be in the car accident!

Lifting her head to the window and, peering as far as she could without her cheek touching glass, noticed that the rain drop was not the first or the only. Yes, more light rain came splattering down and began to pit-patter on the window and the pavement outside.

_Be safe Ron, I'll be waiting for you to-night._


	3. Australia REDUX: Missions Series I

Thanks to Reviewers: CastaS, Deyinel, AndyCosta (nice observation), zero9q9 (thanks for noticing, I think there were only three in total so I'll just leave it x9), John M. Steppenwolf, RI100014, Ace Ian Combat, Ulta Sonic 007, loser 7, Cold-Chaos, Ezbok58a, Rachel J. Lupin, conan98002, Hoshii, Gryfffinrose (the fish D:), Laur (hearts!), neithan, nutti, lovova, Shadowlost.

Hey guys! Wow... how long has it been? Really, really long. Does anyone read this story anymore? I feel like I'm talking to myself, lol. Well, basically, I just lost interest in the story. No-one was pushing me to write it anymore then I got stuck in a rough part and, meh. Just wasn't into it. Plus I was over-loaded with work so that didn't help. But now that I've cleared them all aside, I think I might be able to make this story regular now. Maybe...

So here's the next instalment for anyone who's still interested. Season 4 news of Kim Possible is looking pretty interesting, isn't it? Can't wait to watch it myself here in Canada once March arrives!

Anyway, enjoy the continuation of the story, guys. And thanks to one special reviewer who brought this story back to my attention.

* * *

¤ Instalment 03 »» _Australia__ REDUX -Missions Series I-_ ¤ 

People's hearts aren't things that go easily

Even the things you can have are limited

-hitomi, _'Arabian Dreaming'_

* * *

While Kim had returned to the Tri-City University campus on the bus with her chin in her hand, slumped, and looking out at the rainy night scenery, she suddenly understood why Ron must be working so hard by taking _four_ jobs on at a time (Kim still didn't know what that fourth one was) for the money. It was so obvious— that phone call he made the night she had spent the day with Monique? For jobs of course! Yes, that night, that's when it all started. And what else had happened that day? Why, he had gone home to visit his parents. And it was there that Kim assumed that the problems started. For some reason unknown to Kim, Ron's parents were obviously not sending him money and, for some other reason, he needed it. 

You obviously didn't need _four_ jobs for the basic needs. So Kim came to the natural solution: student loans, of course.

When she arrived at her dorm late that night, she realised she hadn't completed _any_ of her homework while out on her excursion. So after changing into her pyjamas and stealthily hiding her borrowed clothes and shopping bags in the coat closet (where Ron never went) she hauled out her textbooks and binders to work like crazy.

She was so swarmed in all the stacks of papers and text that awaited her that the time flew by rapidly and before she knew it, as she was doing the final touch on her latest essay, she heard the sound of the loose doorknob turning then rattling. Lifting her head wearily, she watched through sore eyes as Ron stumbled into the room, barely able to close the door behind him.

It was compassion for Ron that was conveyed through Kim's eyes; if only she could tell him she knew he was doing this! Placing her pencil down lightly, she walked silently over to Ron where he wavered as if he was drunk in his stance. And he was drunk, drunk with an insane amount of tiredness that had flooded over his entire body.

Without saying a single word of persistent inquiry like she had the night before, as she understood him now, Kim guided Ron safely over to the bed. Although he too said nothing, she was positive he was beyond thankful for her help, and for not pestering him this time. She made Ron stand while she folded back the sheets and undid his belt as so he would be comfortable in his sleep—there was no way he had the energy to change into pyjamas. Once he was in the bed, Kim slipped off his shoes and aided in tucking him under the sheets. His soft, blonde hair fell gently onto the pillow and, closing his eyes, he fell into an instant sleep.

Sighing, Kim rubbed her eyes feeling the sleep and fatigue of her own adventure that day take hold of her in the early hour. Carelessly, she shut her textbook and flicked off the lamp light then joined Ron in the bed. It was a little bit of a pity that he was already asleep, for he was unaware of Kim slipping her arms around him and drawing herself close, a comfort to them both, as she fell asleep into him.

Although she didn't sleep for long.

They were both excessively exhausted from their 'separate' days out that they each passed out instantly and because their bodies were so drained, they barely moved in their sleep. So Kim's mind slowly came into a waking when she felt something in her arms begin to shuffle around. She was about to regard it as Ron turning around in his sleep, when she also heard a sound. It was the tiny sound of what had to be a miniature alarum clock, it certainly wasn't Kim's.

Curious, she ventured an eye half open and nearly gasped when she saw Ron struggle from exhaustion to push himself up in the bed. Instantly Kim closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. It was difficult for her heartbeat was beginning to pound faster and she found she had to swallow to breathe from time to time which she hoped Ron wasn't picking up on.

He didn't seem to. She felt him slip away from her loose arms hanging around him and heard the soft, muted sounds of him padding around their tiny room in his socks. Her ears pricked to pick up every and any sound, she heard him do his best to be quiet as he dug into his suitcase for a new change of clothes.

There were more sounds as Kim lay in the bed, motionless in her fraudulent sleep: brushing his teeth, the tap water from the bathroom running, his shuffling as he dressed himself, then finally the jingle of keys as she _knew_ he was heading towards the door. Right at the moment Kim assumed he would leave, there was no sound and Kim wondered if he had paused for some reason.

For whatever reason it was, it was a short one and soon she found herself alone in the room, as the keys jingled from the other side of the door and the lock shut itself.

Sitting up, she surveyed the room. Rufus was gone from his beast-sized bed as was Ron's backpack. Kim craned her neck at her own alarum clock and discovered she had some more hours left to sleep before her alarum woke her for morning classes. Being all alone in this room gave her a disheartening ache inside and she gripped the sheets covering her tighter.

She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, still wiped out from yesterday and the little sleep.

_I thought we weren't going to be apart anymore._

When Kim's alarum clock did wake her for classes, she was, as she expected, still alone. Even if she knew where Ron was going, it still didn't relieve her of that empty feeling. He did reunite with her again during class as she expected he would and, as she also anticipated, he promptly fell asleep during the lecture. This time, Kim allowed him the grace of sleep and instead diligently wrote down the notes that she would then allow him to copy later. It was a good thing Ron wasn't prone to snoring: the Professor didn't even notice Ron's head on the desk, passed out much like he had on the bed last night. Although Ron did mumble from time to time in his sleep, but as to what he was saying, Kim could not understand.

It was after class that Kim casually directed Ron to a bench on the campus grounds under a leaf-bare tree. She knew Ron's homework time was limited while out working so she suggested to him that they do some homework then to which, amazed, he agreed.

As they worked, seated by one another's side, Rufus on Ron's shoulder, Kim contemplated bringing up or even subliminally suggesting his money problem. It was odd, Ron wasn't generally a prideful person when it came to money, after all, the boy _did_ shop for _clothes_ at Smarty-Mart. But the last time she had confronted him, his Bulimia, he had been _quite_ flustered with her secretly finding out (to put it lightly).

And yet she enjoyed this peace she was experiencing with Ron once again and didn't want to create anything to disturb it. She was tired of spending time away from him and the tumultuous past they had the year before (plus the one before that). If she could avoid times like that, she would take it greedily. It was by luck that she went by unnoticed yesterday while spying on Ron for Fate seemed to desire in every way for her to be caught. Perhaps Kim should let things rest with Ron for now, after all, he said he _would_ tell her about his money problem. Kim should be content with the knowledge she had discovered what was keeping Ron every night and leave it at that.

Sighing, she opted to keep silent as they worked for close to an hour before Ron silently and serenely closed his textbook shut.

"Going?" Kim asked quietly, trying to communicate that she was _not_ prying.

"Yea, I won't be able to go to your cheer practice again," he said. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you that yesterday. You musta been a bit miffed with me, yea?"

"No," Kim replied, shaking her head and storing away her own books inside her backpack by her feet. "But it would have been nice if you could have told me. I kept looking in the stands for you."

Ron's eyes conveyed a hurt emotion as he looked away.

"But hey," Kim added, trying to cheer him. "You have places to be," she shrugged, "So what choice do you have?" That could have been an opening for Ron

"Yea."

He didn't take it. When Ron said no more, Kim allowed a passage of silence.

"I know you'll tell me eventually what you're doing and why." Ron sat straighter and looked at her, blinking with attention. "Ron, I really hope what you're doing is important to you. It's kind of tough knowing the next I'll see you is, like, four in the morning." Then with a genuine sigh, she allowed herself to drift to Ron's shoulder, leaning against him.

Again, Ron was silent before he she felt him nod. "It is important."

"I trust you."

Ron beamed and Kim sat up next to him, looking in his eyes. She was lightly surprised that there was a tinge of colour to his cheeks. "You've no idea how much you saying that still means a lot to me."

Then it was Kim's turn to blush, the silver charm jingling on her wrist as she gave a small gasp when Ron wrapped his arms around her to present her a soft embrace. Still blushing intensely, Kim hugged him in return, burying her face in his neck to hide.

"Hokay," Ron murmured as he pulled away from Kim. "I really got to haul it outta here. I'll try not to be as dead as I was last night when I come back though."

Kim smiled, sniffling in the cold-air, "Sure. See you later then."

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he gave a lazy wave as he walked away down the pavement.

Kim continued to sit on the bench even until Ron was completely gone from sight, but still she felt his presence next to her. Looking down, she knew that presence came from the little lanyard bracelet that he had woven especially for her from the depths of his own heart.

"I trust you…" she murmured once more to herself before heading over to cheer practice.

And the weeks continued in the same manner: Kim waking to a Ronless bed, meeting up with him in class where he would sleep, homeworking on the bench (the only time they were really granted to spend time together), all leading to Ron's nightly return where he would always pass out the instant he hit the bed no matter how much he promised he wouldn't. Even the weekend was hardly of any difference. It was worse for he was gone the entire day, only returning for about an hour and a half at around five o'clock and then he was gone again.

It was becoming exasperating on Kim—not that she was ever losing her patience with him. No, the only emotions she could feel towards him were empathy and confusion. The exasperation was coming from the fact that it seemed like none of this would ever end and all Kim could think about was the hell Ron was putting on himself.

At times, usually when he would tumble through the door at night, she felt the strong desire to burst that she knew what he was doing and _demand_ that he stop this nonsense. And every time, she watched Ron close his eyes with relief of finally returning to Kim's room, the desire vanished, replacing only with the strongest of affections towards him.

Finally, some day in the month of February, a Saturday, Ron slept through the entire day. Wary, Kim wasn't sure if she should wake him or not, perhaps he was missing work, but then maybe he had a day off. She decided to risk that chance in favour of Ron's aching body which was probably at crying point by then.

So she allowed Ron to sleep in her bed, underneath her pink sheets, his head resting on her equally pink pillows while she herself spent the day at her desk, typing up the good copy of an essay. She worked silently, often glancing at Ron from time to time but the poor boy was sound asleep as if he had overdosed on sleeping pills. Kim had no desire to wake him until she absolutely had to.

"Hey, Kim!"

"WAAH!" Kim gave a startled wail and nearly fell backwards in her swivel chair when Wade popped onto Kim's computer screen. Now in the evening, the entire day had been nothing but silence.

"Don't _DO_ that!" Kim hissed, keeping her voice low, yanking off her headset. She anxiously glanced at Ron, but he was still deeply submerged in Slumber Land.

"Sorry," Wade chuckled, "I was going to contact you on the Kimmunicator but meh, noticed you were on the computer."

"Shh," Kim applied a finger to her lips. "Ron's sleeping."

"At this hour?" Wade asked sounding a little aggravated but lowered his voice in any case. "Well, maybe you should wake him."

Breathing in, Kim gave another long side-look at Ron, placing her fisted hands onto her lap and leaning onto them. "No," she replied firmly, "He's been running himself to death-point. I think he deserves to rest."

"Oh?" Wade inquired. He shrugged, "If that's how you feel, maybe I should call Professor Akari back."

"Professor Akari?" Kim repeated. "The bug guy?"

"That's him."

"Why'd you call him back? Oh… a mission?"

"Yea, that's why I contacted you. He's in Australia now and he needs your help. He says he caught a rare Australian Golden Beetle and promptly lost it." (Kim gave a dry laugh.) "He needs your help finding it again. It should be easy, but it can wait if you want…"

"No, no," Kim interrupted. "We'll go, Ron can sleep on the plane like last time if he likes. The sooner we get there, the better our chances at catching this bug, right?" She laughed, "I don't think I've ever had a mission like this. Bug catching, h'm? Poor Ron. Is there any reason Akari called on us to find his bug again? I mean… can't he find a new one or something?"

"No way, do you know how _rare_ this insect is? Not only that but _everyone_'s after one. I did some research and I discovered that if you crush the wings of this beetle into a powder, it can cure certain types of otherwise terminal diseases. They already have a female captive, this one was a male and they need it back."

"Mmm," Kim replied thoughtfully. "So poachers 'n stuff would be after it too, I suppose."

"Villains too, probably."

"Probably," Kim nodded. "This _so_ better not be a Greetnix Microchip thing again, I'm not too fond of doing something like that. Alright then. I don't know what our chances are of catching this insect if it was so hard to find in the first place, but we'll give it a shot."

"Oh, Professor Akari has the insect tracked. It was right when he was applying the chip to the big that it flew away from him."

"That'll help. So why can't he track it down himself? Not to sound… um… rude."

"Because of what _you_ said: poachers, villains, ne'er-do-wells and miscreants. We've met the Professor before, he's not exactly the swashbuckling, sabre-wielding adventure guy."

"Yeeeaaaaa, I see that now," Kim grinned mischievously. "Setting up a ride?"

"You know it! Be ready in less than half an hour?"

"We'll be waiting outside. Check ya for details on the ride over—thanks, Wade!"

The window closed and Kim saved her progress on her essay before closing her laptop. Moving about the room, Kim decided to ready herself and Ron's pack before waking him.

As she dug into her drawers for her mission clothes, she opted for the more heat-temperature favoured mission wear. From within the drawer, she pulled out a sleeveless, turtle-neck crop top and short, tight, khaki shorts. Ron's were similar, although obviously his was not a crop top nor were his shorts tight and short: his shorts came to about knee-length, were loose and grey with two large pockets on either pant leg. She and Ron had gone shopping for these during the summer when they had come back from a particularly heated adventure in the heart of Africa. There would be no more sweating to death in their usual mission wear.

Slipping on her gloves and backpack, she crept softly to her bed and leaned over Ron. His mouth was slightly parted and his head moved ever so slightly as he breathed in and out.

_Poor thing,_ Kim thought and gently placed a hand on Ron's blonde head. _He's dead tired, maybe I should leave him behind..?_ But she knew if she did, Ron would be offended. He could hear him saying how he'd prefer to be with Kim and tired then sleeping alone without her somewhere nearby. He was her sidekick after all— a title Ron bore proudly and boldly reminded anyone who forgot.

"Ron… Ron." The first couple of times when Kim called his name, he did not react. Caressing his hair, she continued to call to him, attempting to bring him to waken. "Ron, wake up…"

"Ugh…"

"Good evening." Kim teased him sweetly, while looking down at Ron he lifted a heavy, drugged eye.

Ron barely lifted his head from the pillow as he looked up at Kim, continuing to blink. "Kim… erngh… What time is it?"

"Late. How are you feeling?"

Ron's hands were tucked under the pillow still and he lifted his head further, this time turning it to look out the window. "It's… still night..?"

"No, Ron. You slept through the entire day, you were that tired. W-was I supposed to have awoken you?"

"No. Thanks for letting me sleep. I shoulda told you…" (He yawned) "…That."

"I'm glad I made the right decision. I was worried there that you had some place important to be. As usual."

Ron dropped himself back onto the bed, now looking at Kim. "Naw, but it looks like you do."

Kim glanced down at her attire then nodded. "We've been called for a Mission. Are you coming? You can stay here to sleep if you want." She left the option open for him, but of course he chose the decision she knew he would.

"I'm coming," he replied groggily. He brought up a palm to rub his eye. "Are we going someplace hot?"

" Australia."

" Austria?"

"No, ' _Australia_'."

" Australia…"

"That's right."

"Aus… Oh!"

"Ron?"

Kim tilted her head in confusion when Ron took to flushing that very instant. What was so embarrassing about Australia? She wondered this but right when she was about to voice these thoughts, she immediately understood why Ron appeared frantic.

Of course _he_ should be. They hadn't been to Australia in a long, _long_ time and that last trip… had been that horrendous, gruesome, unforgettable time. The time after their hands had detached, two years ago, and they had gone to Australia…

It was there that The Boulder Incident had occurred.

Where… Kim had done such appalling things to Ron, one of these things had been pinning him to a most repulsive and beastly word. She had called him a… No. She couldn't even think the word. Because it wasn't true. He had been trying to save her _life_. Yet even through all the commitment and growth between them since that mission, Ron was still unable to forget it. She felt like she couldn't blame him and yet at the same time, inside, she felt hurt that he hadn't been able to move on. That he still remembered and felt wounded when remembering her…

"Yes," she said finally, " Australia. No big, we've been there before."

"I know…"

"Suit up," Kim replied stoically, walking away from the bed and over to her hiking boots. "We've got a ride to catch."

And she left it at that. She'd prove to Ron that Australia didn't have to mean disturbing memories of pain. It was a continent and country like any other they had been to before, horrible things happened to them all the time. This mission would be a piece of cake: hunting a bug, then handing it in. What could possibly go wrong with something as simple as that?

So Kim threaded up her boots while Ron changed inside her bathroom and emerged, shivering and holding his twig-thin arms.

"I think I'm gonna bring a sweater," he chattered, "It's so c-c-cooooold…"

"You won't be saying that when we get there," Kim advised, handing him his backpack then gloves. "Can you just try and deal for now? I think you'll be fine when we get onto the plane. We don't want to pack a bunch of things we won't need."

"Yea, yea, okay," he grumbled now lacing up his own boots.

"So what is the mission anyway?" he asked; Kim waited by the door for him. "Which villain is it this time? You know what they should do? They should have a cookie jar and put their names in it. Then they can just pull a name out and see who will try and take over the world next."

Kim laughed dryly, "Maybe they do," she yawned. "You'd think they would have stopped this kind of stuff by now. I mean, like, grow up already, right? But no, actually, it's not villains."

"Something normal for a change?" he brightened.

Kim nodded although Ron was still looking down, finishing with his boots. He headed out the door with her and Kim pulled out her key, locking the door before she gave him the exact details:

"A bug hunt."

Ron hit the door with his fists begging to be let in.

"Oh, Ron!" Kim squealed, trying to pat him on the back while he gave a small sob. "It's not going to be that bad! It's just a little beetle, okay?"

Ron hit his head against the door, "I don't _care_ that it's a beetle, it's still a _bug_, Kimbo." He twirled around and shivered violently, clasping his hands into fists right under his chin. "Eeeewwww, this is going to be sooooo gross!! Nastification to the first degree!"

"Ron, okay, _calm_ down, you'll be fine," she reassured. Discreetly, Kim slipped her hand into his and gently pulled him away from the door. He resisted at first, but as she persisted in leading him towards the stairs, Ron gave in and allowed her to guide him out of the sorority and out onto the campus grounds. There, a hover-jet was already waiting for them.

When they boarded the jet, Kim and the pilot did their usual 'thank-you for saving us last time for blahblah and something about it all being at Ron's expense' to which Kim returned with the automatic 'it was no big, although it was completely life-threatening and we probably all would have died, it was _our_ pleasure anyway!'. 'Our' pleasure, what a joke to Ron, he wasn't sure how he was always duped into doing those things.

Kim was sitting in a seat just in front of Ron, although they were under the same shield of glass than the pilot ahead of them which allowed them relative privacy. Glancing behind her, she saw Ron leaning back in his seat, his head slightly cast out the window and his eyes beginning to drop.

Smiling, Kim lifted the Kimmunicator from her pocket and flicked it on, greeting Wade with a friendly hello.

"So." Kim, like Ron, leaned back in her seat, relaxing herself for the ride ahead. "Can you give me anymore details on this bug hunt? Tips? Anything?"

"I downloaded Professor Akari's bug tracker that he sent me and connected that to the Kimmunicator so you'll be able to bring up the bug's tracer whenever you like."

Kim was about to comment how very much like this bug catching was to the Ron catching she had done. But then she remembered Ron was sitting behind her, his brain probably still in that state of limbo between deciding to sleep or stay awake.

"That'll be helpful," Kim nodded, "Did you let the pilot know where to drop us off?" (Wade nodded a yes.) "At first I thought bug catching in Nowhere, Australia would be easy. But you know, Wade, now that I think about it, we're going to be out in the middle of the outback and this bug is going to camouflage with our surroundings. That's assuming, of course, that the beetle is the same colour as its name."

"Oh," Wade double blinked, unfolding his hands and reaching for some popcorn in a nearby bowl. "Didn't I tell you? The scene isn't the outback?"

"_Wade_," Kim laughed, "It's _Australia_. Are you telling me the bug's somewhere lost in the _city?_ Do you understand _why_ the words 'needle' and 'haystack' come to mind even with this bug tracer in the Kimmunicator?"

Wade chuckled, "Through all of your thousands, yea, probably _thousands_ if you include all the little things, trips all across the world and every continent you've been on, you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Well," Wade hit some keys on a keyboard next to him, "According to this, the beetle isn't in the outback, it's in a mangrove swamp."

There was a pause. "Okay, okay, okay. I heard two words there but all that really came through was the word 'swamp'."

Sighing with exasperation, Wade's finger's flew across the keyboard in front of him and for a final flourish, hit some keys bringing up images on the Kimmunicator's screen.

It was a swamp, but not that kind Kim was used to, not the muck and gunk, quicksand and feet weighing like cinder bricks. No this swamp was more like some sort of rainforest that had been flooded. The water, lapping gently at the tree trunks, was a brownish colour and the green leaves from the mangroves and trees all around was an intense, vibrant green that Kim imagined would be even _more_ shocking to the eyes in person.

This was a swamp? She'd take wading around in this kind of swamp than to the one she had been in China two years ago any day.

"I see," she said finally after mulling it all over. "Thanks, Wade. I assume it's not going to by any less hot than out in the outback, right?"

Wade tsked, shaking his head from side to side. "Lather on that sunscreen Kim, you know you burn."

"I hate being a redhead."

And that ended the conversation. It was a good thing Kim did bring along a load of sunscreen as she did to _any_ heated destination. That one mission long ago—their first mission to a sweltering continent and Kim came home with skin as red as her hair? Why yes, she _never_ forgot sun block after that. Ron on the other hand, he didn't burn nor did he tan, for some obscure reason, he always retained his pale complexion. It was a complete mystery to Kim.

After slathering on what she could in her seat there she passed it back to Ron, waking him from a small nap to which he returned to after he passed her back the bottle.

Holding the bottle and craning her neck around to try and glimpse Ron, she wished silently to herself that Ron, like to-day, would no longer need to work and they could revert to being around each other more.

The jet was headed for a small, top-secret island just on the west side of Australia and dropped Kim and Ron off somewhere around the lower-east side of the continent. Pulling their parachutes, they landed somewhere in the outback, but off in the distance they could spot the edge of the mangrove swamp.

Taking their time to conserve energy, Kim pulled out the Kimmunicator and opened up the map of the area. So far, no golden beetle; it would be a game of Hot, Warm, Cold until they picked up the tracer. Kim tried widening the beam, but it would only go so far. She assumed they would have better luck once they were actually within the swamp.

Ron vocally proclaimed his disapproval when they reached the edge of the swamp, knowing they would have to wade into the murky, yellow-brown and green water before them. Of course, Kim walked in first, it was really the only way to 'persuade' Ron to go into the water— he would be forced to follow.

Ron wasn't the only one to grimace in disgust at the idea of travelling through the water. Rufus instantly scuttled out of Ron's pocket and right onto the top of Ron's head, the highest he could be away from the water. The mole-rat gripped with his little claws onto Ron's hair, fearful of the idea of falling off. Warily, Rufus' whiskers twitched as he took a brave peek at the water below and shivered.

Once they were in the area of the Australian Golden Beetle, a haze of red appeared on the Kimmunicator's map somewhere to the left. The area it signalled was not entirely specific and would only sharpen on the beetle's location once they neared the vicinity.

So they waded silently, travelling further and further out in the middle of the swamp where there were no trees to shield them from the sun. Already Kim could feel the heat of the sun flaring with intensity upon her red hair; she really should have brought a hat. At one point, she lightly placed a hand on the top of her head and winched, retracting it quickly before she gave her palm a burn. She'd definitely receive a bad scalp burn later for her stupidity of forgetting a hat. Ron, while sweating like Kim, was not quite as heated as she.

Kim quickened her steps, Ron behind her wincing and pulling away from her with disgust as she caused small waves of water to splash about. He didn't follow her until she had gained some distance ahead where none of the splashing could fleck onto his person. As sloppy as Ron could be, he _hated_ being dirty with a passion.

The goal was the side of the mangrove swamp where the actual mangroves were growing. There, the trees grew expanded and their branches hung low, casting shade over Kim's reddening scalp. She waited for Ron to catch up— he constantly kept his arms _well_ above the water. Kim hadn't noticed until then that they were up to their waists in water. It seemed like only a moment ago the water was only tickling them around their bare knees.

Intent only on closing in on the red dot that had to be the beetle on screen, Kim stalked deeper into the shelter of the mangroves. As she had correctly assumed, the leaves above them were a shocking, lively green. Ron tilted his head up to look in awe, only to have Rufus have a near heart attack when he almost fell right off Ron's head.

"It's kinda cool here," Ron voiced from behind Kim. For all its 'coolness', Ron would still not caution lowering his arms as he kept his elbows at shoulder height. "It's all unique and secluded. I woulda liked to have played here when I was little. You know, if the water is _clean_."

"It is clean," Kim replied, her mind focused on the screen.

"Yea?" Ron countered, "Then why is it _brown_?"

"Umm…" Kim thought, pulling her attention away from the screen for a moment. "Because the dirt underneath it is."

"There you go," and Kim realised she had just helped Ron win the conversation. "And then the water gets dirty from the dirt it's on."

"Tchach, well, the water was clean until then and that was _my_ point."

Ron laughed, "You just can't lose, can you, KP?"

Kim's mouth twitched upwards and she struggled to contain her laughter _and_ her blush.

They continued on underneath the sanction of the mangrove leaves, mostly shielding them from the now burning sun. An hour passed and perhaps it was even closing in on two when Ron was panting profusely and pleaded with Kim for a short rest; she obliged.

Together, the water still licking them around their waists, they treaded over to a particularly shady tree with flowing branches. The low branches hanging low, a few of the leaves even kissed the surface of the water.

Sighing with exhaustion, Ron leaned against the trunk of the tree and wiped his sweaty brow. Kim on the other hand placed the Kimmunicator in the fork of a branch while she pulled out her pocket mirror from a flap on the side of her backpack. Hovering over the mirror, she pulled at her cheeks to scrutinise herself.

"Is my face red?" she asked finally, leaning closer to Ron.

"H'm?" Ron peered closely at Kim and poked her on the cheek with a finger, emitting a small 'ah' from Kim when he did. "It's too hard to tell in the shade under here," he said finally. "But I think you might have a touch of a burn."

Kim clicked her tongue in annoyance, "Great. Just great." Reaching up, she again tested the top of her head now that she was no longer in the sun and gave a small whine; yup, completely toasted up there.

"Fan me," Ron then commanded. He reached out and grabbed Kim's wrist and manually forced her to fan himself well he helped with his other hand. Kim used her own free hand to fan herself.

"You could use your own hand," she replied grumpily while her hand flopped up and down. "Then I could fan myself with two hands."

"No," Ron gasped through panting, "Too hot." Like that sentence made any sense.

Kim slipped her wrist from Ron's hold to pull out a water bottle from her backpack. As she drank from it, she glanced from the corner of her eye and spotted Ron watching her… _very_ warily. Last time they had been in Australia and they had been dying of heat, Kim hadn't shared her water. Of course, she hadn't really done it to be _cruel_ for she had assumed he had his own… even if she hadn't wanted to share.

This time, Kim would prove difference.

When she was done, she handed it to Ron and fanned herself with her two hands. Ron took the water bottle from her, his face bemused as he looked down at it.

"It's water," Kim explained, "You drink it."

Ron seemed not to hear her and continued to hold the water bottle and swish the water inside. Kim turned away, blushing and her brow slightly furrowed, but right when she was about to say something else, he took a long drink and handed it back to her.

"Are we any closer to catching that bug?" Ron asked.

Stuffing the water bottle into her pack, she pulled down the Kimmunicator from the branch. "Closer," she observed.

" '_Closer_' doesn't mean close," Ron pointed out, "It just means we've covered more distance from when I last asked."

Kim rolled her eyes with a smile and motioned for him to follow her. She had thought about flicking Ron with some of the water but decided not to tease him this time. He'd probably have a hissy-fit-spazzum-attack if she did. The thought of it did make her giggle though.

After awhile more of walking, she halted, checked the Kimmunicator, then observed her surroundings again.

Kim withdrew a sharp intake of breath, knowing Ron wasn't going to favour what she had to say:

"We've got to go in there."

"Huh?" Ron asked and followed the finger she pointed with to an on-stretching row of deep, thick bushes mingled with mangrove trees.

Underneath the tangling branches of the trees and bushes, they would be completely sealed off from the outside and would be tightly surrounded in a labyrinth of bushes with sharp branches poking at them with every chance. Of course… there would be the _bugs_…

"Aww, Kim…" Ron began to whine, but Kim could only give her a friend a helpless shrug.

"Just continue to follow me, Ron. We've got to go in there, the signal is coming really strong and really sharp from in there."

Ron sighed and slid his eyes away from Kim, showing his extreme disliking to the new direction of their mission. But, again, Ron followed her anyway. Gritting his teeth, he pushed up some firm, strict branches that thwacked down against his back scratching him the instant he let go and stalked into the undergrowth.

Inside, it was fairly dark and they both knew the further they went into this house of branches, the darker it would become as the branches thickened, intertwining over each other. They had barely any space to wade without pushing and moving the branches aside so they could slip through this maze.

The water was still only to their waists underneath the bushes but just as one standing atop a heightened tower hundreds of stories above the city streets felt vertigo, Ron had a sense of drowning underneath. They were pretty thickly encased within these bushes, after all, it was beginning to make Ron feel claustrophobic.

He was just about to voice these worries to Kim as they walked deeper and deeper, now where only a shot of light hit the water if it was lucky enough to have evaded all the masking branches overhead, when Kim held out a hand for silence.

Ron sucked on his lips and kept his eyes wide and wary. Rufus on his head flattened his body onto Ron's head.

After staring long and hard at the Kimmunicator, Kim finally motioned for Ron to walk up to her— but quietly so. Once he reached her, Ron craned his neck over her bare shoulder to look at the Kimmunicator but could make no sense of the map. Instead of explaining it to him, she pointed to a thick mangrove root above the water.

Kim leaned in close to Ron, her lips right by his ear so that when she whispered to him, he felt every breath. It made his chest tighten.

"_There_."

And Ron forgot the feeling inside him and squinted as much as he could, pushing his glasses up as far as they could go upon his nose. Then… then he saw it.

There was the Australian Golden Beetle. It lifted its shell to flex its wings and then safely tucked them back underneath again. It scuttled up the root and then stopped.

Returning back to Kim, he mouthed to her: '_how?_'.

She nodded slowly and handed Ron the Kimmunicator. Slipping off her backpack, she made Ron hold that two while she dug into her backpack being as quiet as she could. Ron continued to keep an eye on the beetle as Kim fetched a net from within her backpack. She extended the net create length. Before moving in on the beetle she gave one last motion for Ron to _stay put_. He nodded.

Another tightening of the chest came to Ron, this time one of anticipation. It was like waiting for those last few seconds before the announcer of American Starmaker to announce the new Star. Would Kim catch the beetle and finally this wading in this disgusting water would be finished? Or would it fly away before she could land it in her net..?

Slowly, ever so cautiously, Kim inched closer to the beetle, trying as best she could to barely cause any ripples in the water. Ron swallowed hard in the anticipation, feeling his heart thud against his rib cage. He wondered why the beetle hadn't flown away yet, what with how loud his heart was beating.

Kim was moving in mere increments and yet to Ron she seemed to be moving far too quickly and surely the beetle would flutter away before Kim could reach it. After all, how could it not? How in the world could they sneak up on an insect without its knowing? This was impossible!

And before Ron knew it, Kim was wavering over the beetle, the net firmly in her grip and her expression set into a firm determination. Ron froze himself and waited for the moment when Kim would bring down the net upon the beetle. Then, then Ron could go back to the dorm with Kim and be out of this incessant heat. Even if they were tightly hidden from the maddening sun and wading in water, it was still incredibly hot and Ron had not stopped sweating since coming to the mangrove swamp.

Wringing the bar of the net in her hands, Kim lifted it cautiously and then… brought it down in a hard, swift motion. Ron flinched as he heard a loud splash and then:

"NO!"

_SPLASH-SPLASH SPLASHITY-SPLASH!!_

Ron opened one eye and then the next, unfurling himself to peer at the scene before him… he sighed.

There Kim was, in the water having failed to catch the beetle, her arms were wrapped around the tree root that the beetle had been on only a few moments ago. Kim's hair was damp from the large splash she had caused. Plainly aggravated, Kim blew some strands of hair from her face.

Ron waded forwards a little, cautiously just in case Kim decided to cause another huge splash and spray water onto him.

"Kim..?"

"Missed it, it flew away," she grunted. "Where'd it go? Do you see it?"

Ron peered around through the darkness at all the roots and low hanging, brittle branches, searching everywhere for a hint of gold. And then…

He gasped.

"Kim…"

"You see it?" she asked and began to shuffle in a move to stand herself up.

"Don't move!!" Ron blurted out. He moved half a step forwards quickly before he halted himself.

"What?"

"It's… on… your head…"

Kim did _not_ move. No-one did, except for the haughty little beetle who flexed his wings in almost a teasing sort of way…

"Gonna… get you…" Kim muttered under her breath and very stealthily, raised the net above her head and strained to keep it up in the air. It wobbled slightly and Ron clenched his teeth then…

_SWAP!!_

"DID I..? ……. THERE!" Kim spat when she realised she had _not_ caught the beetle again and distinctly saw it fluttering away into the darkening bush maze ahead of them.

"Kim…"

But before Ron could blink, Kim was searing through the water causing giant waves in her wake as she tore after the beetle zig-zagging deeper into the thicket. It was nearly comical, Kim rearing the net over her head and vehemently swinging it about here and there in a mad-frenzy to catch that beetle.

"Kim!!" Ron yelped in anxiety, adjusting his glasses on his face, as he watched Kim bound off into the dark. He stood, Rufus still clinging to his hair, and shifted from side to side. A small whine came from Ron's throat when he realised Kim wasn't going to return to him, after all— that bug had what was coming to him now. So, taking in a deep breath, Ron plunged after Kim. He could barely see her outline as she ran ahead (how _far_ did this flooded, trapped thicket go?) although Ron didn't need to see her to follow, the sounds of her gigantic splashing was good enough.

Kim was too blind with determination to realise what Ron was noticing. The deeper they went, the higher the water level became and soon Ron, whimpering and giving the odd sob, found himself chest-deep in the water that was now such a black, he might've been swimming in ink or tar.

"Kim!" he called out grievously. He pushed on through the water, wincing and his scrunched up his eyes in an estranged feeling that was fright and disgust whenever he felt something under the water brush his bare legs. Something soft, something fast, something slimy, something tickling… He didn't want to think of what could be lurking underneath…

And the truly terrifying thought was, as the water _increased_ the space between the water's surface and the roof made of intertwining branches _decreased_. Ron, while he was able to swim decently and was not afraid of water in general, had an _intense_ fear of drowning. Or in this case, suffocating. He could always head back but… but as he was now chin-deep in water with his glasses wanting to slip right off his nose and Rufus having to flatten himself onto Ron's head to avoid being scratched by passing branches. Ron wondered where Kim was. The roof weaved above their heads as thick as could be, there was no way out through there.

Gasping, Ron shook his head violently when water flowed into his mouth— he only received a mouthful more in his spazmatic reaction. Gasping from the minimal air and choking on the water going down his mouth and up his nose, he called out again for Kim, frantically this time, his voice raising in pitch. He couldn't hear her splashing anymore.

"_KIM_." He called out, continuing to choke on the water, he gasped, forced to swallow some, "Kim!"

"Ron!"

"Kim! Kim, w-where are you…"

"Here, here," she called out and instantly Ron felt his body calm when she used that soothing tone of hers. "Stay where you are, I see you."

Ron didn't waste breath on mentioning how he couldn't see her.

Kim swam up to Ron as they had well past the ability to walk on the ground. Ron treaded water in the one spot, distressed, his heart thudded while waiting.

Then he saw the outline of her head bobbing towards him. The net still in her hand and she came to stop next to Ron. She brushed her cheek against his and Ron was surprised that hers was cold. He couldn't see that clearly, but he supposed she was flushed.

"Did you catch it?" he asked.

Kim, too, gasped for air and choked on some water. "No, but I saw where it went. There's a small gap in the thicket roof over that way. It flew up there."

"We're going after it?"

"We have to, just follow me."

"But we can't climb on top of the thicket, the branches…" he gasped again, swallowing more water, "It'll scratch us and… 'n stuff."

"I saw a tree branch up above," Kim explained, "We can climb onto there."

Ron still looked dubious but followed Kim regardless when she motioned for him to follow her. That, and any news of being able to leave this horrible flooded deathtrap was good enough for Ron. Even if it was absolutely burning outside, he'd rather be out there than in the dark, swallowing water and suffocating…

"Oh my—" Ron gasped as the thicket roof was now grazing the top of his head and the water level up to his lower lip. It was becoming _very_ claustrophobic. Rufus had now dropped into the water and was swimming next to Ron, his whiskers tickling Ron's cheek and poking him in the eye. "Kim, I… let's head back…"

"Ron, we don't know if we can follow the beetle any other way. I know, I know it's a bit scary, but…" Kim gasped, "It'll be okay. I wouldn't lead you down here if it wasn't."

Ron said nothing to that but followed her purely out of the loyalty that bound himself to _only_ her. If Kim said it was safe to jump off a forty foot cliff, he would have done so because she told him to.

Not before long, Ron saw the beam of sunlight; it was one of the most amazing things he'd ever seen, especially in the degree of disparity he was in. It was nearly heavenly, seeing the shaft of pure, golden sunlight blast through the creepy darkness with its daemonic finger-like branches, the light made the surface of the water it graced glow. This, this was salvation.

"I'll go up first," Kim said, turning around to face Ron on the other side of the light beam. "Then I'll pull you up, kay?"

Ron mistakenly nodded and swallowed a mouthful of water; he blanched.

Kim threw the net she carried up through the hole then grunted as she grabbed a handful of branches. They were so brittle that Ron could hear some snap underneath her grip and hear them trickle onto the water's surface, separating the dust motes that played lazily unbeknownst in the dark horrors just beyond the light.

Ron swam back a little to avoid these falling branches and recoiled when he heard the sounds of Kim gasping, wincing and grunting as she fought to haul herself out. It was as if the darkness wasn't ready to surrender Kim to the light yet. Ron was full with fraught for Kim that he barely noticed something again brushing by his leg.

Ron gasped audibly when he saw an insidious branch brand Kim and a neat, red cut sliced through her thigh.

"I'm okay," he heard her call down to him. Obviously, she would have known that would have disturbed him. "It'll be easier to get you out since I can help you…"

Again, Ron said nothing, but watched Kim vanish completely through the hole. Once she disappeared, Ron swam directly under the hole to watch her climb onto the thick, low-hanging tree branch.

Kim wrapped her arms around the tree branch, it was so thick that she found she was having a really hard time hauling herself up. She didn't fancy the idea of standing solely on the thicket bushes beneath her. As thick and tightly woven as they were, she doubted they would hold up her weight and going crashing through all those sharp branches like the one that had torn her leg was not her priority at the moment.

"Owwww…" she muttered to herself when her chests pressed tightly against the tree branch, her legs kicked to gain her some momentum to have most of her upper body onto the branch. From below, she could hear Ron treading water. _I bet he's happy with his view_, she scowled.

"Ah!" she breathed when finally she had gained that momentum and was able to scrabble completely onto the branch, sitting on her legs. She breathed out, allowing her then crushed rib cage to expand once more.

Sniffling, Kim checked out the scrape on her leg, it wasn't pretty, but it wasn't as deep as it could have been. Then from the corner of her eye, she caught the golden beetle resting on a tree branch. The blasted buggar had been watching her the entire time! Probably laughing its little head off too…

"YOU," Kim thrust a finger at the bug and sent him the most lethal glare she could muster. "YOU… YOU SUCK."

"K-Kim..?"

Ron's pitiful voice came from below.

"Ah! No! Not you, Ron!" she hastened, "Not you, it was… I'm talking to that bug…"

From below, Ron craned his neck up at her and sent her an inquisitive look.

"Never mind," Kim clicked her tongue at herself. "Okay, reach up Ron and I'll help pull you up."

Kim bent down on the branch, lying on her stomach, reaching, she held out her hands expecting to grasp onto Ron's hands only…

"Rufus?"

"Yea, take him up first!" Ron replied from below and Kim pulled herself up again, (her rib cage now crying) and placed Rufus next to her.

"You keep an eye on our wise-guy over there," she told the mole-rat, indicating to the beetle twitching his antennae innocently as if to say: 'Who? Little, me?'.

Sighing, knowing the strain it would cause on her ribs, Kim laid down on the hard branch again.

"Now, just grab onto my—"

"EAAARRGGGGHHGHGHH!!!"

"RON?!"

"_KIIIM!! KIM- OH MY—HELP!!!_"

"What the—?"

And then from below Kim saw nothing but a flurry of splashing water. It sprayed violently and wildly, flecks speckling Kim in the face. But she had no concern for that for when the commotion below ended she realised Ron had disappeared.

Kim's jaw dropped. Where had he gone? What had happened? Why was he splashing like that, wh—

Then the splashing started up again and Ron broke the surface only to be brought down again and when he had this fleeting moment of air, Kim understood what had happened for she had seen the thick, scaly, muscle wrapped all around his tiny waist.

_Shoot!_ Kim swore and leapt off of the branch hugging herself tightly as she slipped through the hole in the thicket and plummeted into the water below. The water wasn't that deep and her feet touched the bottom before she bounced back up for air and survey her surroundings.

It was quiet above the surface again, Ron was somewhere underneath, being dragged down beneath the surface to drown by a python. Taking in air, Kim dove back underneath the surface and fought to keep her eyes open, not that it did her any good. It was so dark underneath, she'd have to feel for him…

Kim's mind began to scream and cry as she became more frenzied. Ron could possibly die underneath as the python intended if she didn't find him first. And then what? What other reason would a python have for attacking Ron? To _eat_ of course…

Kim's brain swore repeatedly as time passed by and she felt blindly underneath for Ron. _Ron, Ron, oh my goodness, Ron…_

And then her hand hit Ron's and she grasped him tightly enough to rival the python then _pulled_. She pulled him in the opposite direction the python was taking him and directed her pull to the surface where all three of them broke the surface.

Kim had to admit, for one second there, she felt a little sorry for the python. It was nothing like she'd seen in the horror films. It wasn't baring its teeth and hissing madly, ready to kill everything in sight. No, in fact, it looked slightly shocked itself. The snake didn't understand why someone was giving it such a hard time when all it wanted was its dinner. '_I didn't know it belonged to anyone!_' its small, brown eyes seemed to say.

Unfortunately for the snake, it _wasn't_ dinner. 'It' was Ron and _indeed_ belonged to Kim.

Both Kim and Ron's lungs expanded for air when the hit the surface, their heads scrapping against the thicket roof above. Kim realised that Ron was sobbing and was hyperventilating as his diaphragm suffered the crushing weight of the python's muscular body wrapped thrice around Ron's miniscule stomach.

Kim knew she had to unwrap the python from Ron or it very well might crush his diaphragm altogether at any possible moment, that was very realistic. As Kim very well knew, Ron was bulimic and had been so for years as he had admitted. Each time he forced his muscles to bring up his food, he strained and weakened his diaphragm and it was probably pretty delicate by now after years of performing that act.

It was doubly apparent by Ron's expression. His eyes were already rolling back, the life slowly slipping from him and Kim growled ferociously as she tugged at the snake's body to release Ron. She fought to untwine it but the snake, at being caught, was trying to escape deeper into the water, preferably _with _dinner.

Kim was now at crying point when they all fought, causing an uproar of water. It was no use, Kim was by no means strong enough to rival the python and she felt it slipping from her grasp as it tried to swim away. Ron was hyperventilating radically, unable to control his own body as it worked with everything it had (which, quite frankly, wasn't much) to continue to survive.

"JUST…" Kim sobbed, tears flowing down her cheeks and mingling with the water all over her face. "Let him _GO!!_" and Kim, now unable to control _her_self did the first thing that came to instinct and she reached out and bapped the snake on the head, bringing her hand down in a fist on the snake's head.

Well that just about shocked its entire system and went cross-eyed. This wasn't worth the trouble of hanging onto dinner, that hit had _hurt_ and so the snake relaxed its body at the same time, loosening Ron from its grip. If that's the way dinner was going to be, then the python would rather have its usual fish, even if this dinner was large and skinny, perfect for swallowing.

Still seeing stars, the python slid away as fast as it could, hoping it wouldn't receive another bap on the head for no reason whatsoever.

"Ron!" Kim gasped and fled to Ron's side as he slipped back into the water on his back. "Ron! Ron…"

Ron gasped to indicate that he was alive but could not speak at that moment. His diaphragm was focusing on getting Ron breathing again. He was completely winded and Kim hugged him close.

"Ron… can you tread water? Can you pull yourself up to the tree branch?"

He said nothing, the only thing audible from him was his breathing: in and out, in and out…

"Okay, I…" Kim thought quickly, "I'm going to push you up and you just sit on the thicket bushes, okay? You'll probably be okay, you're, um… you're light weight…"

Ron made a feeble attempt to nod.

"Be strong, Ron, focus on getting out of here and then you can break."

So Kim grabbed Ron around his upper legs and pushed him through the hole. She was proud at how he caught his bearings quickly and helped in pulling himself up. He wasn't able to crawl onto the branch though, he probably couldn't even stand on his own just yet. Kim repeated what she had done before to escape the forsaken thicket and onto the tree branch where Rufus greeted her with squeals of concern. Ron was able to sit himself up for only a few minutes where then Kim pulled him up onto the tree branch, embracing him, lightly, of course.

She sat on the tree branch, holding Ron, Rufus coiling himself around his owner's neck to warm him up. Kim whispered soothing words into Ron's ears and rubbed his back, easing his recovery as his hyperventilation slowly came to a cease. If Kim looked up, she could see that damned beetle. Kim stuck her tongue out at the little brute.

It was about ten minutes later that Ron finally, gently, eased himself out of Kim's hold and gave a small cough. He shivered slightly, feeling that odd sensation of being wet and cold and yet being warmed up by the sun at the same time. He pulled his glasses off his face to wipe them dry before the water left any stains.

Personally, Ron would have opted for being held in Kim's arms throughout the entire day, but he wasn't selfish and knew there was still a mission to attend to.

"I'm… I'm okay now," he flustered, "That was just, like, shocking, yeah… Thanks for saving me."

"No big," and Kim presented Ron with a large, genuine smile. She patted him on the shoulder next to Rufus a couple of times then precariously stood herself up on the tree branch. It was really so thick that there was no danger in teetering off while standing straight.

"Alright then, little beast."

Ron lifted his head up in a jolt, for some reason thinking she was speaking to him. But no, her attention was directed at the Australian Golden Beetle.

"Ron, get my net," Kim ordered, "We're going to show this guy exactly what Team Possible is made of."

And what was Team Possible made of? Well, whatever it was, it certainly wasn't something to be taken seriously. Unless you considered splashing through the mangrove swamp, taking bounding leaps through the water causing a ridiculous uproar and nets (Ron now had one of his own) flailing above their heads as the beetle played 'You're It' with the two bumbling humans.

Kim had now taken this to an all-too personal level, as she told Ron spitefully, that beetle had a mind of its own and was mocking her in its own way. Ron on the other hand thought the beetle was nothing more than a beetle, which was something to be feared on its own.

They were back in the waist-deep water, now in a forest of mangroves and enormously thick trees with their sloping roots as legs to stand above the water. Now in the more forest area of the swamp, the heat was not as intense as it had been in the area where they had first entered the swamp before the thicket bushes. But the sun still shone through and Kim and Ron were both left to pant and catch their breaths while fanning each other before carrying on after the beetle.

Ron no longer cared about staying out of Kim's splash zone, he was already drenched from the snake attack so that it didn't matter anymore. All he cared about at this point was catching the beetle and going home where he would be able to take a sweet, cooling shower and scrub off all the dirt.

"Shh, shh," Kim whispered for about the hundredth time when the beetle had taken to rest on a tree root. She pawed at the air indicating for Ron to stop moving any closer, _she_ would catch the insect of course. So Kim did as she had all the previous times and snuck up on the beetle. This time when Ron sighed, it wasn't out of anticipation, no he was long past that, these sighs were now out of exasperation—he knew she wouldn't catch the beetle. What made this time so special?

"AHA!"

And it was special!

Something, something Ron couldn't hear, nor Kim (Rufus thought he might have heard _something_ and scanned the area from atop Ron's head) distracted the beetle and it lifted its little antennae to feel the air currents for sound vibrations when it lost its awareness and Kim came down hard, brutally, onto the beetle. _That_ was when Kim had mustered her: "AHA!"

Ron gasped a second time, this one of shock and surprise, but also of elation as he bounded forwards through the water, already struggling to pull out the empty jar he was carrying in his backpack.

"Quick, quick!!" Kim squealed as the beetle, now _furious_ at the indignity of being caught off its guard (and 'caught' in a literal sense) was fluttering and zooming all around the net as insanely as it could, looking for some means of escape. Kim let out another squeal when the bug dove downwards and tried to slip out between the gap of the net's rim and the tree root it was resting on. Kim tilted the net down, blocking the beetle when it shot upwards again. It was becoming like a game of pin-ball for Kim, tilting the net like crazy while trying to keep mister beetle in the net and not let it slip through underneath.

"_Hurry_, Ron!!"

"Hurrying, hurrying, right!" Ron repeated, his chest thudding. Finally he pulled out the jar and fumbled with the lid as he quickly unscrewed it.

"Okay, I'll, um…"

"I can do it, you're holding the net."

"But—"

"Kim, I _can_ do this, kay?"

Ron crouched down, submerging most of himself into the brown-murky water and slipped the jar with one hand underneath the net. Sticking out his tongue as he focused, Ron thrust the jar forwards and caught the beetle between the netting and the inside of the jar.

"_Yes_!!" Kim delighted.

"Hang on…"

With the other hand, Ron slipped the jar's lid underneath the net and stealthily slipped it between the net and the jar and thus finally trapping the beetle once and for all. Kim pulled off the net while Ron brought the jar close to his chest, screwing the lid shut. Rufus crawled down Ron's shoulder and peered into the jar. The beetle snorted at the mole-rat and Rufus responded by sticking out his tongue with extra gloat.

"Alright! Oh, Ron!" Kim threw her wet, dirty, sticky self at Ron and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "You did it! I didn't think… I mean… _Thank-you_!!"

Ron's chest swelled with pride, it hadn't been much, but he knew that if he _had_ botched catching the beetle in the jar up, Kim wouldn't be throwing her arms around _him_ anytime soon (unless it was her hands around his neck…). He patted her back with his free left hand and gently nuzzled his dirty cheek against hers.

Glowing, Kim pulled away and clasped Ron's free hand. "Excellent! A little bit of a crazy day, but what mission isn't? Now, I'll just get Wade to contact Professor Akari and we can—"

"Not so fast."

They all froze. Beetle included.

Swallowing hard, Ron, and Kim at the exact time, turned slowly to the source of the voice and then both of their hearts stopped. For there, a few feet away, standing between two trees, was a man. He was large, larger than any of Drakken's henchmen than Kim had ever seen. The stranger wore a sandy khaki, safari clothing with a matching brimmed hair, teeth of some animal threaded through all around. But it wasn't what this man was wearing that had stopped Team Possible dead cold. No, it was the what he was _holding_. A rifle, aimed right at Kim.

"Now you had that jar to me," he spoke in a thick Australian accent. Kim was about to respond when the man continued, "And I won't hurt your sheila here." It was then that Kim realised that he was speaking to _Ron_ and not herself.

_Hey, hey. I'm the leader here! You deal threats? You tell 'em straight to me!_

Ron licked his lips and shifted nervously with fright. It was obvious to Kim that his flight mechanism was starting to take over. Although running would _not_ have been the best solution right then. Ron slid a look at Kim, begging for an answer that he couldn't make on his own.

The man was too far away for Kim to try to bring down, and with the water they were standing in, it would slow her down yet not the bullet that he would surely fire at her. There was nothing, as her eyes darted without her moving her head, in her surroundings that could aid her either. All of the branches were far too high, and if she moved out of the way, there was still Ron as a target.

"I _said_," the man snarled and he jabbed the barrel at Kim again while looking at Ron, "_Gimme the jar._"

"Give him the jar," Kim said slowly, not taking her eyes off the gun.

Ron hesitated, he took a step forwards in the water but then halted when his eyes, like Kim, laid rest on the gun ahead of him.

"Do it," Kim encouraged. "You'll be okay."

Hesitating again, Ron swallowed hard and took another two steps forwards when the poacher suddenly swivelled his gun from Kim to Ron and Ron froze like a statue, turning an instant pale.

"DON'T MOVE."

Ron didn't.

"You put that jar in the water and push it over to me. It'll float over and I'll pick it up, okay?"

Ron nodded stiffly. His eyes shone with fear as he bent down and placed the jar into the water.

"And no funny stuff," the poacher spat into the water from one side (Kim's lip curled). "You give that jar a nice, long push. No coning me to come and get it, hah?"

Ron nodded again and gave the bottle a big enough push that his limp arms could muster. He didn't want to cause any sudden, violent movements either. The jar, with the beetle sailing inside, travelled over to the poacher and Ron backed up slowly so he was once again next to Kim, standing closer than before too.

"That's right…" the poacher muttered as his eyes darted from the jar to Kim and Ron.

The jar stopped sailing just in front of the poacher and he stalked forwards to pick it up, still holding the rifle at Kim's heart. The poacher nearing frightened Ron and he scuttled behind Kim, placing his hands on her shoulders. Cautiously, Kim rose a hand— the poacher noticed this and stood straight in a flash, the gun clicking. Kim swallowed and continued to move her hand to place it on top of Ron's to pat in an act of calming him. She could hear his heart beating from behind and felt his breath blowing onto her neck.

The poacher watched them for a moment and Kim recognised a mean confused look in his eyes as if he didn't understand what he saw. Disregarding Kim's actions, the poacher snorted and scooped up the jar in a swift motion. The beetle inside fluttered and the poacher brought it to his eyes to inspect.

"Yup, Golden Beetle alright." He slipped the jar into a messenger bag made of animal skin and returned his attention to Kim and Ron. Kim heard Ron wince behind her and she wished she could embrace him, to take away his fear and hide her own in him.

"Thanks kiddies," the poacher lifted his head high and Kim was able to see his face clearly for the first time. He had a five o'clock shadow and black bangs hanging down from underneath his hat. There was a toothpick in his mouth and, like his hat, he wore a necklace strung with predatory animal teeth. "But the outback's no place for children like you." He craned his neck to peer at Ron hiding behind Kim. When he did Ron hid himself further behind Kim and looked down.

"Huh. A bit of a pansy that one, eh?"

Kim said nothing.

"Alright, now I want the two of you to raise your hands above your heads and start walking behind ya. You keep walking side by side and don't stop, you hear me? If you turn around, if you even _look_ behind you, I'll shoot you straight in the eye. Don't misjudge me either, I mean it." He thrust the gun at Kim again and jerked it to the left, motioning her to start walking.

"Do as he says," Kim whispered to Ron.

"But…"

"Do as he says," Kim repeated firmly. "Just walk beside me and stare ahead, don't look behind you no matter—"

"Eh? What's that?" The poacher raised his voice and aimed his gun at Kim. "No talking, you two, just get a move on!"

Kim turned around and rose her hands into the air, Ron doing the same. She walked steadily, her back facing the poacher and from the corner of her eyes, she could see Ron matching his pace beside her. His face had fallen and he was now as white as a sheet. Utterly spooked and his heart was probably beating as fast as a humming bird's right then. Kim bought to keep on a brave face for Ron's sake, but the truth was, she was scared.

The poacher growled from behind, "Keep going…"

Throughout their missions, Kim was fearless, villains were easy but this… this was different. It was odd how Kim's heart was beating inside her throat and she shook inside, ultimately terrified of what might happen as they walked with their hands above their heads. Any moment the poacher could shoot them, they wouldn't even see it. Villains were supposed to be worse than common thieves like this poacher and yet that gun… The villains didn't _use_ guns. They had _lasers_ and _henchmen_, Kim had gone against those countless times, even when she took on her first Super Villain mission, she had never been afraid. Perhaps that was because she was too immature back then to be scared, and now, as she had grown accustomed to the Villains and the villainous methods they opted for, she had become immune, desensitised.

This was like the Gang Fight. The Gang Fight that happened two years back, the very first night when her hand had been attached to Ron's. Those boys, _men_, had wanted to _hurt_ her (and Ron) differently than the Villains wanted to. And although the poacher was different in the kind of hurt from the Gang Fight as well, he was still in the same boat as them. The poacher had a gun, a gun that could kill them both _instantly_ and it would all be over for Kim. The Villains wanted to kill her too, but then there it was again, that desensitising to fighting the Super Freaks.

Kim wasn't afraid of them, but she was truly, downright to the bone, terrified of the 'common' evil: the everyday evil that was on the news, the murders and the generally _bad_ people out there. Kim and Ron rarely, ever so rarely, came across such people on their missions, but when they did…

It was a whole other world.

With her head held high and forcing her eyes directly forwards, Kim continued to walk, her hands forced into the air with Ron walking quietly beside her. Kim lost track of time, it felt like only seconds were passing when in actual fact it had been minutes. Only when the water level dropped to her lower thighs did she actually stop. Ron took two more steps before he stopped too. They waited. Nothing.

Kim dropped her hands slowly and when the poacher didn't shout out from behind, Kim turned around quickly and saw no-one. Even in the far-off distance, no matter how hard Kim squinted, she could see nothing but the trees and their low hanging leaves.

"Kim..?"

"It's okay, he's gone."

Sighing with relief, Ron dropped his arms and rubbed them; holding them up in the hair for as long as they had had become a strain on both their arms.

Turning back to look at Ron, she could tell by his expression he was still unsettled from their dire encounter. He kept looking behind himself as if he was expecting the poacher to pop out from behind one of the trees and start shooting them. Kim had to admit, she had that twitchy feeling still inside her as well, but her sensible mind overpowered that feeling.

Kim wasn't sure if she should give Ron a comforting hug or not, he still appeared spooked, but she wasn't sure if he would accept or not. When he spoke bitterly, she decided against it.

"Well that sucked," he snorted, giving the no-one behind him a dirty look. "I'm done here. Burned up, almost drowned 'n got eaten by a snake and now I almost became swiss cheese. Um, yea, so totally wanting North America again. I dunno what it is about Australia but this place just absolutely hates me. I can take a hint, Kimbo, we lost this one, oh well, let's go."

"Ron…"

Ron stood, blinking at Kim's response. His eyes narrowed critically. "Ok, you're not actually going to suggest we go _after_ that guy are you? _Are you insane?! _Kim, do I need to make this clear on you? He had a gun. Gun's shoot things called bullets. When impacted with a human, bullets—"

"Ron, I _know_," she fought to keep her voice on the sympathetic tone rather than the harried one it was fast growing into. "But Professor Akari is still waiting on us to bring him back this beetle."

"So?"

"So that beetle is important to him. _And_ to human-kind. It can, like, cure diseases and stuff."

"So can aspirin."

"That can't cure, like, cancer and stuff!"

"We don't _know_ if this beetle can cure cancer 'n stuff! For all we know… it cures, like, the hiccoughs!"

"Ron, the hiccoughs aren't a disease."

Ron opened his mouth to fire back the expected retort when he realised Kim was right. So he went for the response that was usually was given when one was proven wrong but didn't want to admit it: "Whatever."

"Look, I don't need you lecturing me on the reality of the sitch because I _totally_ get that." Ron opened his mouth again but she intercepted him, "Yes, I know _now_, I know I didn't used to before like with the Gang Fight. Yes, Ron, I _know_ that man had a gun but that can't stop us, okay?"

This time Ron's jaw slid open, "You're joking, right? This is _so_ a thing for cops."

"Listen, we're going to track the beetle again because obviously it's still in the jar with the poacher. The poacher probably has a camp or a hut he's staying in so when nightfall comes, we'll just sneak in and grab it, then sneak out. How easy is that? We've done that _how_ many times?"

Ron glowered, leaning against a tree with Rufus looking down at him from upon his head. "Hundreds. Fine, okay, I'll go. But not because I want to, only because I gotta keep an eye out on you."

"An eye out for _me_?" Kim laughed.

"That's right," Ron replied, his voice beginning to mumble. "Without me, you might go and do something stupid."

"You know… you may be right about that."

"And all for the sake of a beetle you don't even like."

"Hey. Just because I'm rescuing it from the poacher don't mean I like the thing."

Ron smirked, "At least I know you'd do the same thing for me, since you actually _like me_."

Kim gave him a playfully sarcastic glance, "Yes, yes, we know I would save the world for you."

Ron paused, "Hey, you save the world for _everyone_. I demand something bigger. Like the Universe or…"

"Bueno Nacho?"

"_Yes!_"

Kim shook her head, a smile playing around her lips, "It's a deal! I owe you Bueno Nacho after this mission."

Pulling out the Kimmunicator, Kim did some quick checks and calculations. While Kim and Ron had been walking steadily in one direction, the poacher had been making off with the beetle in the other. Both groups had covered quite some ground in the time that had passed, she grimaced. And the poacher was still going, it seemed. If he didn't hook up with a truck to travel in, Kim and Ron might reach him by nightfall.

"Alright," she said, determined, as she shoved the Kimmunicator into its pocket, "Let's get going, Ron. It's going to be a long walk and we better start now. I really don't want to traverse these waters late at night." She decided against voicing the fact that it would be easier to become lost.

Ron shrugged helplessly and followed Kim as they walked through the waters in the direction they came.

As unbelievable as it sounded, hours passed as Kim and Ron travelled side-by-side through the mangrove swamp. At one point, Kim stopped Ron to reapply the sunscreen, Ron doing the same to himself and to Rufus. Her hair was radiating in the heat, almost looking like a fire atop of her head. Ron was as pale as ever, nearly a pure white and sweating insanely.

Although when evening came and Kim and Ron were still following the map on the Kimmunicator, the heat cooled and the swamp bugs were beginning to loiter in the air. Thankfully, Kim had brought bug spray too and the three sprayed themselves down. However that didn't stop the odd mosquito from taking a sip from their blood stream.

"If I get malaria again…" Ron grumbled at one point.

It was nearly dark, just a hint of pink at the horizon, when Kim and Ron were nearing the beetle's signal on the Kimmunicator. Kim did a last few checks on the map and directions before pocketing it for the last time. From here on in, there could be no light from the LCD screen, and no sound from the buttons. They had to be silent and unseen starting now.

"Okay, Ron," Kim bent down and whispered to Ron, "When we see his camp, we're going to wait until it's completely dark and our eyes have adjusted. Once we spot where the beetle is, we're going to grab it and go. Questions?"

Ron shook his head 'no' so Kim motioned for him to follow her.

Crouching low in the water now up to their ankles, they weaved themselves into the thick bushes and into the forest. The water slowly declined and became firm, dry ground. They padded softly until they both saw a low glow that flickered, indicating a camp fire. Kim and Ron sat on the ground behind the bushes just in front of the clearing from the poacher's camp to observe.

There he was— the poacher was seated on a rock he had probably pulled out from somewhere; he sat situated in front of a campfire, with a plate in hand. Next to him was his rifle, Kim certainly took note of _that_. To the poacher's left was a tent, and between the tent and the poacher's truck, to Kim's shock, were rows of animal cages.

There had to be nearly twenty cages there, all on top of one another in long rows. Inside each one, although it was hard to see, Kim could see the glinting of eyes and the sounds of the animals shuffling around. The poor animals, Kim didn't know if she would be able to rescue them. Most of them were probably going to be sold to be skinned: fur for coats, scales for purses. Inside, Kim began to feel guilty but forced herself to search for the beetle. And there it was, resting on one of the animal cages inside its jar. She couldn't see the beetle inside from the distance she was at, but the jar was the same that Kim had brought.

Quietly, Kim lifted a finger and pointed at the beetle to Ron; he nodded attentively. Sitting back, Kim and Ron only had to wait a few minutes for complete nightfall.

"Ruddy mosquitoes…" the poacher grunted and swatted some of the offending insects with his massive hands. Grunting, the man pulled himself up and dumped his plate to one side. Pulling out a flashlight, he headed into the tent where the light vanished and all became silent for some time.

Kim stirred slightly, Ron cringed back, and Kim poked her head out of the bush and stood still: again, no sounds other than that of the animals in their cages. Ron reached out and tried to take Kim's hand, but she crouched low again, this time, slinking out of the bushes altogether.

Gulping, Ron knew he was to do the same and followed her. Catching up, he stalked with her as they carefully padded across the clearing towards the beetle on the other side. Right about then, Ron's heart was right in his throat so that he was nearly chocking on it. This was one of his least favourite places to be at the moment, from the corner of his eyes, he spotted the rifle glint against the glow cast from the campfire. His arms began to shake as he crawled on them; he pressed himself closer to Kim's side.

They were right in front of the animal cages when Kim whipped around. Everything happened in such a flurry.

The poacher stamped out of the tent, Kim gasped, the poacher ran over to his rifle, spat something about 'dingoes' (perhaps Shego was really around here somewhere also after the beetle, Ron recalled thinking that), Kim wrapped her arm around Ron's waist and was right about to jerk him away when a thundering **_BANG_ **destroyed the evening's silence.

Everyone cried out, whether in shock, joy, fright or… pain.

Ron screamed out in utter, horrific pain when something exploded into his left shoulder. Instantly, Ron was literally blinded by the ferocious, raw pain that flashed all over his body. His vision was gone and then he reeled back as his mind distanced itself from the constant scream that tore from his vocal cords. Ron threw himself backwards onto the ground, his mind unable to comprehend any sounds or sights, all that overloaded his brain and every single one of his senses was the constant massive, unforgiving pain searing madly in his shoulder.

He was completely unaware of the poacher cursing under his breath and Kim struggled to hold him up with her arms wrapped around his chest. Vaguely, he heard the far-off sounds of her murmuring to him. Ron shuddered and sobbed, the initial shock to his senses from the pain was dying down, but that only allowed more pain to make itself known to his nerves and brain. The pain was constant and he began to understand that he had been shot and that he was bleeding prolifically.

Tears ran down his cheeks as he hyperventilated. It was difficult in his fight to connect his brain to his eyes as so he could focus on Kim and then perhaps to what she was saying to him as well. There were tears in her eyes too and her mouth moved non-stop as she repeated something to him, but so far, he could barely hear.

His vision swam in and out, blurring, darkening, focusing: in and out. His sight came to him in frames, he saw Kim over him, looking at him, a black out, then her turning her head to recoil then… a black out. Then there was a shadow leering over them, then...

NO!

No, no… no someone was grabbing him by his wrist and it wasn't Kim; he didn't want that. Ron cried out and Kim was up in a deadly flash, her expression in a snarl but… but she fell back for some reason and he felt that something tug his lower arm and he let out another pitiful, defying cry before blackening out completely.

-ø-

Gradually, vision eased its way comfortingly into Kim's sight. Blinking, she opened her eyes and stared at something a dark blue. Everything in her mind was a complete mess, she was utterly confused. Her brain attempted to understand what she was looking at, or even at where she _was_. But she could remember nothing before blackening out. Moaning slightly, she stirred and turned herself over and stared at… more dark blue.

Ah.

Now she understood, she looked around herself and did a mental nod. She was inside a tent. Okay, now how did she come to be _inside_ this tent? Since when had there been a te—

Ron had been shot by the poacher! She had been trying to pull him up, comfort him with her voice, to take him and flee, but he had been in such a delirium of pain that he couldn't understand that what she had been doing was helping him! Then… the poacher had tried to take him away from her, but she fought back and…

Apparently lost.

It was _then_ that Kim felt the binds around her wrists tied behind her back and the rope securing her ankles. _Dang, I've been captured._ But…

_Where's Ron?!_

The poacher had been trying to take Ron away from her so where was he now?! Had he… oh goodness, had the poacher 'done away with him'?! Put him... _out of his misery?!_ The thought that she didn't know what had become of Ron hastened Kim to pull herself up and figure a way out of these binds to rescue him. Her mind became an instant flame, if that poacher had done anything to _her_ Ron then so help him because she would…

"I see that you've awoken now."

_Speak of the devil_, Kim thought and sent the poacher a despicable glare of utmost hatred. One she had only previously reserved for the beetle. Except this one was worse.

The poacher walked into the tent, he was so tall that he had to bend down. He came to his knees and shuffled closer to Kim. She recoiled and wrinkled her nose as the large man neared her. _Dee-sgust-ING._

"Wondering where you friend is no doubt, hah?" he asked.

Kim inched herself up like a worm so she too was on her knees. That man should have gagged her.

"If you've done ANYTHING to hurt him, you better start running now or I'll—"

"I don't think you're exactly the one to be dealing out threats." He reached out and patted Kim on the head with a massive hand, her neck nearly snapped under the weight of his hand and she let out a haughty sound.

Snorting, she tossed her head away from this hand; he laughed. "What have you _DONE_ to him?" she hissed, "Where is Ron?"

" 'Ron'? Is that the boy I shot? Shoot, I thought you two were dingoes sneaking into my camp. I can get in trouble for shooting down a boy."

Kim said nothing, her expression said it all.

"Don't worry," he teased Kim, "Last I saw he was swimming in and out of consciousness. I sedated him with a tranquiliser and chained him up by the animals so he can't get all brave and decide to run the desert for help. Boy was bleeding something awful too. But I got a plan for that too."

Kim's eyes shimmered and squinted. It was suddenly very arduous for her to show her infuriation and not burst out crying for Ron. Ron did not take to pain at _all_, but she was hugely thankful that the poacher had drugged Ron. It would take Ron's mind away from the pain and the fact that he was chained up with Kim nowhere to be seen. He was quite panicky when in the position to be so and Ron might have ended up hurting himself worse in a possible frenzy.

"He's there," the poacher remarked. Kim gasped and shivered when the poacher moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn't like the stranger's touch at all and she felt as if her body was going to give out underneath the man's hand; although this time, not from the weight of it unlike when he had patted her head. No, this was out of fear.

_Don't come near me,_ she thought. _Don't touch me_.

With the other hand, the poacher pointed to a silhouette on the other side of the tent. It was dark inside the tent, only dimly lighted from the stretch of campfire light from outside. The fire burning outside allowed Kim to see a barely visible outlining of Ron's head. He held it hung over as he slumped against an animal cage. She had no idea if he was conscious or not, or maybe a mix of both with the drugs in his system.

"I see him," Kim whispered, her eyes becoming tender as she watched Ron.

"Think we should put him out of his pain once 'n fer all?"

"No!" Kim blurted out, rising on her knees. "No…" she murmured faintly. She continued to watch Ron's silhouette. How desperately Kim desired to reach out, to graze the fabric of the tent where his silhouette lingered. She burned to caress it absent-mindedly, "Don't hurt him…"

"He's of no use to me," the poacher continued. "I could sell him too, I suppose. Not sure how much he'd fetch, being as small as he is. Injured too, that ain't too good. Gotta heal first before he's of any use to anyone."

"_NO!_"

Kim had no idea to whom the poacher suggested on selling him too. A slavery? Something worse? Didn't matter where or what it was, the answer was firm and she voiced it a second time.

"Ah, you worry too much, missie. I don't plan on selling him. No, I told you I gots myself a plan for dealing with the both of you meddlers. You know none of this ever would have happened if the two of you hadn't come back. I let the two of you go Scott-free. Now the two of you gotter face up to the consequences of playing with the big boys."

The way the man talk sparked a fight in Kim and she whipped around to face him. "That's all?" she demanded. "You just tied him up and drugged him? Then left him?"

" 'Chained' him up, actually, him and that mole-rat of his."

Kim blinked.

"Yea, I know what that rodent is. They're illegal as pets you know? Not too attractive little fellas but I can still get a price for its skin on the market."

Kim gasped, utterly abhorred. "You will do no such thing!"

Again, the poacher threw back his head and gave a hearty laugh, one that revolted Kim. She inched further away from him. Unfortunately, he inched closer and she took notice.

"Like I said before, I don't think you're one to deal out the threats. Now see here, this is what's going to happen: I'm gonna get in trouble for shooting him. Can't sell him…" (Kim's eyebrows narrowed) "Can't let him go," (Kim's eyebrows flew upwards) "So in the morning and when I'm all packed to go, animals and beetle and mole-rat stacked in the back of my truck, I'm going to leave him chained here. I figure he'll die of infection or starvation or heat. Either way, he'll die 'naturally' and it won't be pinned on me, you see?"

"They'll see that he's chained up and that he was shot," Kim snarled, never removing her eyes from Ron's silhouette. "That's not natural."

"But it could be anyone who left him here, for any reason. Doesn't matter to me."

There was a long stretch of silence in which Kim said nothing. She clamped her mouth shut and felt her adrenaline alone surge her beating heart. There was now an undeniable fury coursing through Kim's mind. How dare this man injure Ron, how _dare _he threaten to leave him for dead! How dare he… Her mind strained to contemplate a way out of this, but kept tripping over detail. The poacher had voiced his plan for both Rufus and for Ron, but there was still someone else missing from this 'plan'. Someone… someone Kim should be very concerned with.

And as the silenced stretched on and she felt the eyes on the poacher resting on her, she became all the more concerned.

-ø-

Right at the moment, Ron was focusing on adjusting to breathing in and out at a normal pace again. It was actually very easy, for some reason. His mind had stopped pulsating awhile ago, even the pain in his shoulder felt distanced. In fact, his entire body felt oddly at ease. It was like… 'oh. I've been shot. Okay then.'. Nothing seemed to matter… Ron was just… existing. And that was good enough for him. He was alive.

Ron was leaning against one of the animal cages. He had no idea what was inside the cage, he felt as if turning around to look would take an _immensely _huge deal of effort. And once he did turn around to look, wasting all that energy, he'd have to turn to look straight again. No, that was too much work for him. So far, the animal wasn't shredding his back so it was all good.

Ron continued to focus on inhaling and exhaling, his eyes sloping and dropping from time to time. Sometimes he didn't know that minutes passed between each 'blink'. His mind was in such a deep fog that nothing could penetrate it— at least, that's what he thought.

There was a small cry from somewhere that Ron was _certain_ was _not_ his mouth. After all, crying out would take an insane amount of effort that wasn't mandatory. That, and the cry was obviously feminine.

So…

_Scream… _

_Girl… _

With one eye half open and the other nearly closed, he decided to venture his gaze to where the sound came from and that was…

A tent.

_A tent… _

_Scream… _

_Girl… _

Okay, a small calculation was beginning to add up inside Ron's brain. It was when he heard a constant stream of chatters from above his head that Ron slowly, thickly, began to awaken from the brain fog. Rufus inside his cage above Ron was coaxing Ron to take action because…

_KIM!_

Ron shot up and tried to flee to the tent when something clamped around his neck yanked him backwards. He fell onto his back and groaned, not just from thudding against the ground, but from the dull pain in his shoulder; only dulled by the drugs.

It was a fight to keep his brain active, but there was a drive that came when Kim had cried out from… from the tent and… and… Ron swivelled his head all around the camp and realised the poacher was not in sight. Instantly Ron cursed.

Whipping around, Ron followed the chain that was around his neck to a tonne weight. Ron attempt to push it, then pull it, then gnaw at it, but nothing helped. He could not move that weight: he was absolutely grounded. But he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not if Kim needed him.

Okay, okay… so now what?

A whimper emitted from his throat when he realised there wasn't anything he could do. The keys were by the rifle on the other side of the campfire, but Ron's chain didn't stretch that far. Even so, Ron was having an enormous struggle to keep his eyes open. It reminded him of when he was little and had wanted to see a movie with his Mother. She had taken him and he wanted to stay awake for it so badly but… sleep claimed his eyelids and eventually clamped them shut, no matter how hard he had fought them. It was _exactly_ like then.

"What am I gonna do?" he actually managed to moan, looking up at Rufus. The mole-rat tried to squeeze himself out of the cage, but that, too, didn't work.

Ron's ears perked when he heard another sound of chittering from above. This sound wasn't Rufus. Grunting, Ron stood himself up and teetered like a drunkard slightly. His head swam and he gripped his left shoulder to cease some of the pain. Even with gloved hands, he could feel his wet blood seething through his fingers underneath his palm.

The animal that was attempting to communicate with Ron was a monkey. Unfortunately, Ron spoke very little of monkey. He was mostly fluent in mole-rat and bug, mainly in the 'cockroach' dialect.

As the monkey jumped up and down in his cage at Ron, Ron felt his Mystical Monkey Power rise and lower inside him. It was trying to make sense of what the monkey was saying so Ron could understand. But still nothing came to him. Then… then he understood.

It wasn't like the monkey was speaking in English, no he continued to chatter rapidly in his own monkey language. Nor could Ron 'read' the sounds into English in his mind as if it was a second language. Instead what came to Ron was something that could only be described as 'Understanding'. He Understood that the monkey was putting a connection into Ron's mind about the keys and… the animal cages and…

"That's it!"

Ron opened his eyes in a shot, enough of an awakening to summon the strength he would require to carry this deed out. It was his only way of rescuing Kim and Ron had the notion that every second here counted…

Releasing his hand from his wound, his glove soaked in his own blood, he winced as he clasped the monkey's cage and placed it on the ground before him. Every time Ron lifted a cage and placed it on the ground before him, he would grit his teeth and scrunch up his eyes. The pain tore through his injured arm but every time he felt like giving up and curling up on the ground, he relocated his eyes to the tent and thought of Kim inside. He spat under his breath and again continued to place cages in a straight row in front of him, pushing them forwards so that…

He created a chain with the monkey at one end and Ron on the other. Now, enough cages were on the ground that a chain formed from Ron's end, past the fire, and to the keys.

Ooking, the monkey easily picked up the keys from where they sat through the bars and passed it to the monkey next to him. Then that monkey passed it to the wombat, from the wombat to the wallaby, from the wallaby to the crocodile and so on until the dingo passed it into Ron's hand.

Grinning and wincing in pain (thank _goodness _for those drugs he was on!), Ron slipped the key into the lock around his neck and freed himself.

"Aah…" gasping in air, Ron only took a second to recover before he released Rufus who hopped into Ron's pocket and scoop up the jar with the beetle inside. Ron tossed the keys back to the monkey and whispered: "Free everyone!" The monkey chattered his agreement and began to hurriedly free himself and all the others.

Ron tore his way over to the tent and cried out Kim's name in despair. He continued to stumble, his feet wanting to slip and send him crashing to the ground. Oh goodness… that cry… that true, terrified, cry Kim uttered could… could it only have meant _one_ thing? He shouted her name again before bursting into the tent only…

Only before he could he clashed into someone and the person bowled over onto him and they tumbled to ground. Ron had to cry out again in the pain it caused his shoulder. Blinking, Ron realised Kim was on top of him, wincing from the pain of clashing into him.

Apparently while Ron had been running _in_, Kim had been running _out._ Looking up, Ron saw the poacher burst from the tent, his shirt buttons undone. But right then, Ron's concern was for Kim.

"_Kim!!_"

"Ron!?"

"You!"

"Huh?"

"Him!"

"What?"

"Hey!"

"Who?"

"YOU."

"_HIM!!_"

"_No!_"

And before anyone could splutter anything else, before the poacher could raise his rifle and aim the barrel square at Ron's forehead, before Ron's Mystical Monkey Power could boost him to an enraged fit of blindness, Kim latched onto the back of Ron's sweater by the neck and hauled him backwards then she ran away.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BOTH DEAD."

"RUN."

"I— OH MY GODDNESS."

**_BANG! _**

**_BANG-BANG!!_**

"HE'S GONNA KILL US!"

"'GIT BACK HERE."

Kim was now ripping through the undergrowth, branches scrapping her skin as she scooped Ron up under her arm and ran with him. Looking at him, she noticed he had the jar with the beetle inside and blessed him repeatedly. There was _no_ way so she was going back there for any reason whatsoever.

"Ron, thank—"

Kim was cut off for at that moment, she heard a sound behind them. It was…

Kim felt sick to the stomach when she heard the sound of the truck's engine starting behind her. Then she felt as if her stomach had completely given way when then came sounds of the underbrush being torn apart as the truck ploughed after them.

Kim plunged into the water which could have been a very stupid move: it was far more difficult to run through water than run on land. She had only been following the instinct to return the way they came.

With Ron under her arm clutching the jar, she splashed into the water, bounding with her legs up high. She could see the truck's headlights rebounding off the tree trunks and leaves, droving her to run faster and swallowing the water she kicked up. From behind, she could hear the poacher's snarling voice and then more gun shots. Both she and Ron let out horrified gasps when the water next to them imploded and water shot into their faces and eyes.

"YOU AIN'T GETTING' AWAY FROM ME THIS TIME."

Hearing the engine of the truck rev closer and then to an all-too uncomfortable close, Kim swerved herself to the right and nearly missed being ploughed down by the truck. The poacher cursed repeatedly behind her and Kim attempted a new plan in manoeuvring herself in a zigzag through the mangrove trees, especially the towards the ones growing closer together.

_Deeper water too,_ she thought to herself and headed in the direction where the water was the deepest. From the corner of her eye, she gasped when she saw the truck motoring alongside far beyond the trees to the left. He could see her barely and was trying to shoot at her. She hated that the steering wheel in Australia was on the _right_ side.

"Kim!" Ron managed to finally soak in some of his surroundings and he pointed straight ahead where the truck and Kim would meet up. Kim tried to turn to the right, but the poacher saw it too and thrust his foot onto the gas pedal, rearing the truck forwards and swerve directly in front of Kim, catching up.

A bullet whizzed by Kim's hair as she streaked right and hit water. Kim had to know carry Ron in her arms, the water was rising to their chests. Still the poacher wasn't giving up, he was in a mad frenzy; if he could not have the beetle he would at least kill Kim and Ron.

The bullets were too close and the trees were widening out. Soon there would be no place left to hide or weave behind. With the deepening water, it would be too difficult to run so much that they wouldn't be able too. Soon enough, the poacher would catch up with them, or at least have a better aim…

Gasping Kim lifted each leg with an immense strenuous effort. Her brow was covered in sweat and the heat from earlier in the day was now affecting her in a nauseous way. Kim intensely felt the need to just shut down and give up, her body was at such a breaking point. It was like running in a dream, where no matter how hard you struggled to run away, your legs were forced into a slow motion. But she couldn't just give up… this was life or death and… and she couldn't let Ron down.

She was so consumed inside her mind with the fraught of being slowed down that she actually did slow down what with her mind being occupied. The truck was near them, the headlights lighting up their backs. Kim gripped Ron tightly to her chest and felt the bullets implode inches away from them.

_I can't…_

She waited for them to pelt her down, to finally grace her with freedom from this... from this sitch.

She winced as a bullet imploded just in front of her, splashing water into her eyes. It was then she knew what she could do.

"Take a breath!"

"Wha?"

Taking in a deep breath, Kim plunged underneath the water, dragging Ron with her. Again, she was intensely glad he was drugged for he barely resisted her. Kim forced her eyes open although they stung, and swam for all she was worth. An arm wrapped around Ron's waist, he feebly swam with her, Kim doing most of the work.

From underneath the water, Kim could see the bullets strike the water's surface to plunge into the water and then eventually fall apart. Growling mentally, Kim powered her legs to kick faster and further, swimming away as far and as fast as she could. But soon… she would run out of air. And she would be no better off. Then… something in the corner of her eye! It was a risk, but she had to take it.

Weaving through the underwater plants tickling at her bare skin, she and Ron slipped through the roots of a mangrove tree and inside the hallow trunk.

_Yes!_ Just as she thought, there was a surface. Breaking the surface at the same time, Kim and Ron both choked on the water and gasped for air. She glanced at the beetle inside the jar and the thing was as dry as a bone.

Outside, Kim could still hear the bullets being fired and the truck zooming around. Ron, in his half-awake state was having trouble treading water so Kim leaned her back against the trunk of the tree and brought her legs up to the other side, sitting just on top of the water. Grasping Ron, he was so unbelievably light, that she was able to pick him up with ease to sit on her legs. They did buckle slightly, but he was still easy to keep up. Coughing a bit more, Ron slowly settled and eased with Kim's outwardly calm exterior, the tranquiliser's drug inside his system swarmed over his body again. Sighing, he nestled his head onto her shoulder, allowing his eyelids to droop and rest the jar upon his lap.

Lifting a hand, Kim gently stroked Ron's wet hair as she waited for the sounds outside to slowly die down. It was a long wait, Kim's heart thudded inside and her body slightly shuddered each time she heard a bullet being fired near their hiding place. She could vaguely hear the poacher cursing and yelling out to them. He knew they disappeared in this area, and he was out hunting them down.

Closing her eyes, Kim reassured herself that they should be safe in here. She felt horrible inside that such a series of wild events had occurred on this mission. Especially when it had only been the day before that Ron had been out working himself to the bone. Not only to help comfort Ron, but herself as well, she murmured pleasant whispers to him. She wondered if he even heard her, in the state his mind was in.

Time passed and Kim was so consumed with consoling herself and Ron that she hadn't noticed the sounds dwindle until they disappeared altogether. Lifting her head with caution, she strained her ears like a rabbit coming out of its warren and waited.

No sounds. She waited a few more minutes, but there was nothing but silence.

Grunting, she pulled the Kimmunicator out of her pocket and shook the water off of it. Luckily, Wade had built this device to be water-proof.

"Hey, Wade."

"Kim! Haven't heard from you in awhile. How's it going?"

"We have the beetle."

"Wow, took you that long?"

Kim sent Wade the dirtiest glare.

"Ah, stuff happened, I assume…" Wade replied, shrinking back from Kim's stony glare. "Want me to put Professor Akari through to you? Let him know you have the beetle?"

"Please and thank-you," Kim replied wearily.

"Oh, Kim Possible! You found the Australian Golden Beetle?" The Professor asked anxiously when he popped onto the screen.

Kim did her best to put up a cheerful attitude. "That I did, Professor," she replied sweetly. "He's right here with us in a jar. Where do you want us to drop him off?"

"It's a bit late, isn't it? I don't believe I will be able to pick you up at this hour. I'm tracking the beetle to a mangrove swamp, is that where you are?"

"Yes," Kim replied, slightly puzzled. There was no way she was staying over night in this tree trunk.

"I have one of my bungalow stations where I stay when I'm studying bugs in the outback just North of where you are. You can stay there for the night, you have my permission to use whatever you want there."

"Oh! Oh, thank-you!" Kim was _truly_ grateful. "Thank-you," she continued to gush, "That's… that's wonderful."

"I'll come by in the morning to pick you up and take you back to the city," Professor Akari intoned, "I'll give your computer friend the map to the bungalow right now."

Kim thanked him repetitively and before soon enough, Kim and Ron were out from their sanction within the inside of the tree trunk and on their way to a secure haven. She had been cautious at first, coming out of the tree trunk, but the silence proved true and the poacher was nowhere to be seen or heard from. Ron could barely stand on his own legs so Kim again carried him in her arms—just so long as he held the beetle's jar and the Kimmunicator with the map.

It was arduous to tramp through the swamp at night, she felt herself being pricked by mosquitoes and she wandered off course at times, but right when she felt like she could go no further and camp out right there and then, they discovered that they finished the trek through the swamp and had finally achieved dry ground. Kim _had_ to look down to reassure herself that there were no tire marks as indication of the poacher—a sigh of relief: there weren't any.

Although they had broken free from the mangrove swamp, the walk was still a little over half an hour before Kim even spotted a dark blot ahead that had to be their bungalow. Once they reached the front porch, she placed Ron on his two feet where he wavered precariously yet even so, he held his ground.

"Aren't we lucky?" she asked him, completely rhetorical.

Ron gave a small smile, his thick tiredness seeping through. "We get to stay here the whole night?" his voice was distantly wistful. "It's so… big."

"Yea, I was worried for a moment we'd have to camp out and silly me didn't think we'd be spending the night here so I hadn't brought the sleeping bags."

The bungalow was a decent size with a veranda and an ornamental thatched roof. Stepping inside Kim gave a sigh of gratitude. There was a small lounge to the left and right of the doorway with two windows looking onto the veranda. On each side there was a two-seat chesterfield decorated with mostly green floral prints accompanied by a matching armchair each. Both surrounded a glass coffee table decorated with a fake flower in a vase on top and a straw mat underneath. There were paintings too, only a few however, but thankfully none were of insects. They were mostly Aboriginal artwork animals as the likes of kangaroos or Ares Rock and other Australian scenery.

Kim shut the door behind herself once Ron stepped in and padded softly over to the light switch. She doubted it would work but was proven wrong when the lamp lights lighted up.

"Electricity?" Ron asked.

"This place must have its own generator," she commented. "Come on," she motioned for Ron to follow after her as she went down the short hallway straight ahead.

On the right was a door that Kim opened and peeked inside. Flicking on the light, she almost stumbled over herself in her backtrack. The room was completely filled with empty jars and cases that had all probably once held the Professor's travelling bug collection. Thankfully now, there was nobody home. Ron attempted to peer over her shoulder, but the sight alone, even if empty, would have probably creeped him, so she shut the door quickly.

"Nothing in there," she added brusquely.

The door to the left held a small kitchen. Kim and Ron spent a brief time inspecting that. Unfortunately, but not at all to Kim's surprise, the refrigerator was empty. Clicking her tongue, she led Ron out of that room and to the last two rooms just head. At the very end was a closet, but to the right, as Kim suspected, was the glorious bathroom.

"Now this… _This_ is beautiful," she sighed, clasping her dirty gloves together in a swoon.

Ron stumbled inside when Kim flicked the light on and looked around with her. It had everything they could want at this point, a working toilet, shower and sink. Nothing could have been more Heaven-sent. Well, other than what was behind Door Number Four on the left side across from the bathroom.

Kim opened the door and felt Ron peering over her shoulder to look into the room where they would be spending the night. The lights were off but the window was open and the half-moon outside could be seen through the window casting the only light. It was a small room and simple: a dresser, a double-bed, a straw mat before the bed like the two decorating the lounge, a painting above the bed, and two stands on either side of the bed. Walking in, Kim shut the door behind her and took a step forwards on the wooden floor.

"Can it _get_ any more perfect?"

There were only two lamps in the room, both of them residing on a bed stand each. She turned on the closest one to cast a small, mellow light into the room.

Then there was the bed.

The beautiful, _beautiful_ bed.

She moved to sit on it, to lay down and let the mattress form to the contours of her body then... then fall into a deep, deep sleep only…

No, she couldn't not yet.

"Shower time!"

"First dibs!"

"No way!"

Kim laughed as she bounded past a too-slow Ron and into the bathroom.

"HA. Claimed it first!"

"Fine, fine," he grumbled. Kim sighed and felt a little bad, Ron wasn't in the mood to be playful. He was still out of it from the tranquiliser shot, that and his shoulder must at least feel _some_ pain…

That was right! His shoulder wound still harboured the bullet that had shot him. The smile dropped from her face, Kim knew what she'd have to do before _either _of them took a shower.

"Come on in," she sighed and headed into the bathroom's cabinet for anything helpful.

"Wut?"

"In!" she commanded. Shuffling through the cabinet, she found a pair of tweezers then she shuffled past Ron who inched inside, his eyelids held half open still managed to appear shocked. Kim retrieved some clean towels from within the end-closet.

"What's going on?" Ron asked thickly, placing the beetle jar on top of the sink, Rufus bounding off his shoulder to sit atop.

Shutting the door behind her, Kim stood in front of it to prevent Ron from escaping. She eyed him thickly. Not that he could escape her with all the drugs loaded up in his system.

"I know you're not going to like me much for this, but I _have_ to okay?" Clicking her tongue, she added under her breath, "And better now while you're still drugged to your teeth."

"Whaaaaa..?"

Lightly taking Ron's uninjured arm, she guided him to sit on the closed toilet seat and handed him the towels to hold. Barely able to lift his hand, Ron picked up one of the towels and eyed it as if wondering what it was for. But then Ron began to understand once she picked up the tweezers.

"No!" he warbled, "No, no… No, you can't do that…"

"_Please_," Kim pleaded. "I know it's going to hurt, but I've _got_ to, now stay still…"

Ron tried to lean away from her, but she grabbed his arm at the base of his shot-wound and he gasped from the pain at how tightly she clamped onto his arm. He was unable to wiggle away from her and the only thing he could do was scrunch his eyes to await the _other_ pain that came when those tweezers dug into his wound…

And it came.

It wasn't pleasant for either of them. The business of retrieving the bullet from Ron's arm was difficult for Kim and Ron for their own reasons. It was disgusting for Kim, but she focused her mind and tried to ignore the _sounds_ and all the _blood_ oozing out of the wound to run all over her hand and the fact that she was digging into Ron's _flesh_. While Ron tried to ignore the intense that pain that shot through his thick veil of drugged fog and the fact that Kim was diving into his flesh to retrieve a bullet that had shot him.

"Got it! Okay… now don't move…"

Easier for her to say than for Ron to do.

"There we go…" Kim finally murmured and Ron felt the tweezers pull something out of his arm, he blanched (Kim did too). Kim picked up a pile of tissue and placed the bloody bullet inside. "Want to see it?"

"_No_," Ron insisted, feeling slightly delirious as the drugs again overpowered the pain. "Just… throw it away."

Kim nodded and wrapped the bullet up tight within the tissue and dumped it into the woven basket next to the toilet.

She patted Ron lightly on his good shoulder and looked him in the eyes. It was obvious to Kim he was still having a hard time trying to focus. It didn't stop her from saying from her heart: "You were brave, Ron. Everything you did to-day. I'm really, um, proud of you. And thankful for you."

It took a couple of seconds, like a bad reception, for Ron to intake what Kim had said. A weak smile spread on his face. "I… Thanks."

"Now you go wash up first before you pass out completely. Remember, _I'm_ the one that won all those 'Who Can Stay Up The Longest?' contests back when we were little and _you_ weren't hit with a tranquiliser back then either."

Ron stood on his feet, steadier than last time. Kim reached out and tugged his gloves off.

"It'll sting and hurt," she said, "But I want you to clean your wound up real good. It'd be way gross if you got some mondo infection. We were, like, everywhere yucky to-day so I don't know what could be creeping about. When you're done, I'll tie some bandages around it."

"What do I change into?"

"Oh, um, good question, actually… BRB."

Kim dashed into the bedroom and dove into the drawers. She found a few pairs of white pyjamas, no nighties for Kim, obviously. Returning to the bathroom, Kim placed the clean set of pyjamas onto the toilet seat.

"Are we allowed to wear those?"

"Professor Akari said we could help ourselves to anything here."

"I wish he had some food for us to help ourselves too…"

"Think you're going to be okay in there?"

"Kim, unless there's a snake lurking in there…"

"I mean, you're not going to, like, pass out because of the tranquiliser in there, are you? I'm going to check in… twenty minutes, if you're not out by then."

Ron was able to give a small laugh, "I'll be out quicker than _that_. Or… or maybe I _shouldn't…_"

"Nice try," Kim smirked and lightly guided his back towards the shower. "Now go shower, you reek." She scooped up the beetle's jar.

"I return the compliments," he replied dryly as she left the bathroom.

"And don't steal all the hot water either!" Kim retorted from the other side of the door.

"Well I do feel a little slow so we'll see how long I take…"

Kim shook her head, a rueful smile on her face as she walked back into the bedroom. While she waited for Ron to finish with his shower, she roamed the rooms again, (minus the bug room), adrift in thought.

Inside, her body was twitchy to clean herself of the thick dirt that masked her legs, belly, face and arms. Then she could lay on that bed… _with_ Ron. Standing in front of one of the lounge's windows, Kim closed her eyes and imagined herself snuggling next to Ron, feeling his warmth and that of the bed. She could already feel the blankets wrapped up to their necks and her head resting upon the soft pillow. Kim would be able to fall asleep with Ron at her side. Finally her aching body could rest.

This had been a ridiculously insane mission, it had escalated far more than it should have, she thought. How silly how such an easy mission as catching a beetle had been more difficult that blowing up Drakken's latest ray gun. And how more _dangerous_ this one had been too…

Kim shuddered physically.

Currently, Kim had taken a seat in one of the chesterfields in the mini lounge. From her seat, she gazed about the dark, quiet room. Her eyes wandered to the windows, from where she sat, she could not only see the mangrove swamp so far off in the distance (it was amazing to squint at that far away scenery and know she and Ron had spent that hectic day right in there), but the countless stars in the richly deep, blue sky above that.

Kim had been all around the world and from time to time, she and Ron would stay somewhere overnight. But for the first time, staying here, in this small house to themselves… Kim felt an odd feeling. Frowning, she thought perhaps it wasn't a feeling, but more something in the air… the ambiance perhaps. Lifting her head, Kim looked down the hall and could see the closet, the bathroom door shut and then the bedroom door open. They were all alone in this place, in a remote area far from anyone else in the world. It felt so oddly comforting and… _Special_, she thought. For one night, it felt different and she enjoyed it, this being here with Ron, just the two of them.

_It's almost like we could live here._ And that notion sent a smile creeping onto her face.

Awhile later as Kim continued to stand, lost in thought, in front of the window, she heard the water pelting the basin's bottom stop and heard Ron moving about from inside the bathroom. Slowly, she turned around and walked back to the bedroom where she pulled out a pair of pyjamas for herself. (Yes, she was quickly adjusting to living here.) When she reached the bathroom door, Ron was just coming out.

"Tie my arm?" he asked, wincing.

Kim nodded and placed her own pyjamas on the toilet seat while she retrieved some bandages from within the cabinet to tightly wrap around Ron's wound. He gave a small whine when she gave it one last secure tug.

"Thanks, don't take long." Ron slipped his arm back into the sleeve and did his buttons.

"I'll take as long as I need," Kim replied, matter-of-factly.

And did she ever.

The only thing preventing her from spending the _entire_ night underneath the splendid warm, _clean_ water was the thought of that bed awaiting for her to fall asleep upon. The water was so easing to all of Kim's aches and cuts, including the nasty one on her thigh which she scrubbed no matter how sharp the pain was.

She finally closed the shower's waters against her will when she heard Ron tapping on the bathroom door. She called to him, letting him know that she was coming. After drying herself and giving her cut on the leg one last inspection, she changed into the pyjamas. Like with Ron, they were far too big for her. The sleeves hung over her hands and feet while the collar drooped a little too low for her liking. At least it did the same to Ron.

Returning to the bedroom with Ron, Kim was _finally_ able to sit down on the bed sheets and she smoothed them out with her hands. Sighing with an intense longing, she thought how just being able to touch these holy sheets were reward enough for Kim. The sheets were pale green and pink, the colours were slightly faded, making it look old but still clean. She patted the bed a few times with a hand but no dust roused. The Bungalow had probably been used not too long ago, for that, Kim was thankful.

"So what do you think?" Kim presented Ron with this ever-so simple question when she spotted him still lingering in front of the door.

"It looks okay," he said, but his voice was tentative and his eyes looked weary.

This wasn't the drugs showing through, no, instantly, Kim recognised that look layered underneath the drugs. She didn't sound exasperated, but rather truly concerned when she asked: "What's wrong? Come here," she patted the space on the bed next to her and felt chills. _Being able to lay in a bed… _

Ron strolled forwards to take the seat she indicated, but wavered as if the seat had suddenly grown spikes. Reaching out, he grasped Kim's wrist and pulled her off the bed.

"Check it first," he insisted before she could open her mouth.

"Check it?" Kim asked with what was almost a laugh. "For what? A boogeyman underneath?" she teased, "Did we forget your nightlight back home?" Reaching out, she gently rubbed Ron's good arm in a soothing fashion.

Oddly, he ignored this. Ron shook his head insistently, "Bugs," he grumbled. "I'm not sleepin' there until you check that bed for bugs."

"Bugs?" Kim asked, at first perplexed. "Oh, Ron, Professor Akari loves his four-legged—"

"And some times eight-legged."

"Yes, and sometimes his eight-legged friends but—"

"Sometimes more," Ron but in.

Kim sighed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, but he wouldn't give us a bed that wasn't clean. Look at the room, Ron," Kim lifted her hands to the room around her, "Not a creepy crawly in sight!" Ron instantly shivered at her choice of words. _Even in the 'bug room', nobody was home_, she remembered to herself. "The only bug here is the beetle."

But when Ron remained defiant, she sighed again. Kim walked over to the other side of the bed and flicked on the other lamp light on causing more light to cast into all the corners of the room. Ron cringed instinctively but no insects made themselves known; she pointed into the ceiling.

"See?" she declared, "Clean! No bugs, no dust." She watched as Ron craned his neck and stood on the tips of his toes to squint into the corner to scrutinise. Indeed, Kim was correct, not a cobweb or dust collection.

"Yea, okay, but I'm still not going in that bed until you check it."

"Oh, Ron…"

"I'll sleep on the floor." It was a threat.

"Ron, there's more likely to be bugs on the _floor_ than on the _bed_…"

Ron shivered violently and held himself closer, "Then I'll sleep standing up!" he wailed. "Kim! Please…"

"Okay, okay," Kim laid a hand on his back and rubbed, hoping to ease him. He stood, hunched, his eyes hanging heavily from both drugs, tiredness and fatigue. Kim was _extremely_ exhausted and all she longed was for that vision of the threesome: her, Ron and the bed, to come true.

However, she was still empathic to Ron's emotions and said, "You can approve while I tear the bed apart. You let me know if you see anything freaky and I'll flick it away." _Forbid there from anything really being here…_

Nodding, Ron followed Kim over to the bed. He continued to clasp his arms and stand huddled as Kim began the grievous task of stripping the bed down to the mattress. She placed the pillows on the dresser and Ron insisted not to leave the blankets on the floor where they might pick up any insects.

"Look good?" Kim asked. Ron nodded, still looking very hurt so Kim picked up the next blanket, shook it, then placed it on top. "And now?"

Ron walked around to the other side of the bed and back again, he nodded his approval. Groaning, her arms began to ache as she repeated this three more times until the top comforter was finally given Ron's approval and the bed was remade.

To anyone else, this might seem so immature and even an unnatural fear for Ron to have and perhaps in the past, Kim would have reprimanded Ron for all the trouble and soreness he was causing her but not know. Not since Kim had been in Ron's very own mind and had seen the Camp Wannaweep memory where Ron had been forced to live with an insect infested cabin and a vicious chimpanzee. Kim had always waved those away whenever Ron had told her about it as being over exaggerated. But upon seeing the actual place, there was no exaggeration and if it had been she in Ron's place, she might be acting the same way. How had he even _slept_ in such a place? With all the insects, oozing and wriggly, creeping, and slowly crawling… Yes, she understood Ron's fear and couldn't expect someone as he to shake something like _that_ off.

_Plus the drugs are probably making him think irrationally. _

Hopping onto the bed, Kim exhaled a breath of intense relief and gratification. _Finally _she was able to rest! It was real now, the mission was over, all that swamp trudging, poacher escaping and bullet skiving was done with. Was this how Ron felt every night when he returned from his million plus one jobs? Although _he _probably felt _ten _times worse than she was now. Kim closed her eyes for a few moments then opened them when she didn't hear or feel the sounds of Ron coming to join her.

"Hey, you," she said and again patted the space next to her. "Come here."

But, tilting her head, Ron was over by the dresser rummaging inside.

"Now what?" Kim couldn't help but sigh with a touch of exasperation. She _was_ tired for goodness sakes and she didn't want anymore work or hassle.

_Come _on_, Ron. You must be ever more dead than me. Only the day before you were out working, then you walked in the Australian sun, almost got eaten by a snake, nearly drowned, was shot and drugged… you should have passed out by now!_ And not to be cruel, she kind of wished he had.

Ron was plucking out an extra blanket and bent down in front of the door to block the gap between the door and the floor with the blanket.

"Just in case they crawl in while we're asleep," he said.

Kim hit her head against the pillow underneath her. Or maybe _she_ should just pass out. "Okay…"

When he was done, Ron crawled onto the bed and lay next to her on his right. Together, they rested for awhile, side by side.

_That's right,_ she thought as her mind began to drift off into a peaceful lull. _Just come here and relax with me… _

To Kim's surprise, Ron was the first to speak between them. "I like how it's all cool here at night," Ron said, yawning. "It's not all hot 'n sticky like during the day." Although his sentences were coherent, she could hear that his voice was slightly slurred and thickened.

"Me too," Kim caught Ron's yawn. She said while giving a stretch, "It's really just nice being away from the University."

"Kinda like a small vacation," Ron suggested.

Kim laughed, recalling all of his jobs he'd been working on for weeks. "Sure. Too bad it only lasts one night."

"I'm sure Akari would let us stay longer if we wanted to…"

"But we can't," Kim replied, shaking her head, "Homework doesn't just do itself, Ron."

"It can if you bully some geek with those fury fists of yours."

For that, Kim let out a haughty remark, "I _don't_ think so! No, just one night here and we'll be heading back in the morning. A pity really, but what can you do?" Reaching forwards, Kim gently removed Ron's glasses from his face and folded them, resting them on her dresser.

Bad choice of words, Ron homed in on the opening.

"I can think of a few things," he purred heavily and swerved himself closer to Kim. He propped himself up on his arms next to Kim and pressed his face close to hers. "A few… things…"

Yawning, Kim laid down, resting her head on the pillow. Tenderly, she rested a hand on the back of Ron's head and guided him to lie next to her. Resting his head on her shoulder, Ron laid on his stomach, tucking his arms underneath himself. He purred with contentment as Kim lovingly rubbed his hair. Probably another of his monkey-like attributes, Kim thought, but she knew having his hair being petted or stroked was a soft-spot of Ron's. Looking down at him, she watched him close his eyes and smile.

"It's fabulous that we can just get away from everything now and then, just the two of us," Kim voiced her thoughts softly. "Moments like these… they're so special," she rubbed him underneath his chin which he leaned into.

Leaning to the side, Kim flicked off her lamp light and Ron opened a heavy eye to watch her stretch over and shut off the other one. He caught a nice view of the overly-large pyjama collar stretch… downwards.

"Good-night," she whispered. And he could see no more as Kim shut off the light.

Sniffling, Kim laid her head back onto her pillow and pulled the sheets up higher to snuggle in. With Ron nestled lovingly into her side and a hand slowly rubbing Ron's hair lazily, Kim felt the day's exhaustions wash over her entire body and lull her into a state just around the corner from sleep.

Now this was how she wanted to be with Ron forever: nobody but herself and Ron, together and bonded for all of time. Indeed, what wonderful lives they lead…

Next to her, she could feel Ron rustling around, probably adjusting himself into a comfortable sleeping position; she didn't mind. She shifted herself when he she felt him move higher up, accidentally pulling on her top. Just by his movements, she could tell Ron was now at her own head level and knew his face was close to hers. She shuddered slightly when he gently rubbed his cheek against hers.

"Mm," she murmured gently in reaction. She felt him fussing around still and waited for him to calm down.

He finally settled with his head laid adoringly on her shoulder again like a makeshift pillow. He fused a little more when Kim didn't bring up her hand to stroke his hair again. Chuckling inwardly, she continued, hearing his sigh of contentment as she resumed.

She thought then Ron would fall asleep so she was mildly surprised when she heard his soft voice speak.

"Kim?"

"Yes, Ron," she replied, keeping her voice placid.

"Um…"

"What is it?"

"Why did you cry out?" he blurted abruptly.

" 'Cry out'?" Kim asked with a yawn and little concern. "When are we talking about, Ron?"

"In the tent," he continued to mumble, "In the poacher's tent. Did something happen? D-did… Why were you in there, when I was outside?"

"Because you were injured pretty badly, Ron. I think he finally realised I was the leader of our team and talked to me about his plan on what to do with us," Kim explained. "He said he would leave you chained to the weight until you either bled to death or died of starvation. It scared me. So I beat him up for it, naturally."

"And you?"

_How more perceptive Ron is than I was._

"He'd leave me behind too, of course."

"Why was his shirt undone?"

_And how _persistent_ too._

"Ron, are you indicating what I think you're indicating?"

"I was worried."

"Ha! Nothing like _that_ happened if _that's_ what you're suggestion," she snorted honestly. "A little roughed up but I showed him a thing or two. How do you think I freed myself?"

Ron rustled slightly next to Kim; she wondered what he was thinking through that thick cloud obscuring his mind.

"Ron?"

"Okay," he replied, "Guess my imagination was running loose."

"It was and you better keep it on a leash next time."

Lying on her back, Kim continued to stare up at the darkened ceiling above. She couldn't see Ron, but could feel him nestling his head on her chest near her shoulder.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Kim smiled faintly and gave Ron an extra good scratch on his head and she heard that sound of contentment from deep within his throat as she did so.

"Thank-you for looking out for me, Ron. But I promise you nothing happened." She laughed again as if enjoying a private joke. "And if you're stretching your mind _that_ far, then yes, don't worry."

"H'm?"

"You'll be the first."

"If only," he yawned, "I weren't so… so tired…"

"If only we were married, you mean."

"Is that what we're waiting for?" Ron asked, "I thought we were just waiting for the right moment."

"W-well, yes. That too. And I'm just supposing it'll be then."

"But it could be sooner."

"Maybe…" she replied uncomfortably.

The truth was, she was trying to hold it off for as long as possible and the last excuse to push 'that' to a later date seemed to be marriage which should be a long way off… by now. She didn't know what to do once they were married, she hoped by then she would be comfortable and have come to terms with… that. And if not? Well, the 'my Aunt's visiting' excuse could only be used so many times…

Lying there in the bed, Kim flushed and was relieved that Ron could not see her do so. Why did she have to have such a difficulty with it in her mind? She was perfectly fine and capable of going far with him, but never had she been able to go _that_ far as of yet. Kim suspected Ron, as he had voiced now, was ready and willing. She was grateful to have him be so understanding, even if he didn't _actually_ understand the reasons why it was so complex for Kim.

"Ron."

"Yes?"

"I love you… so much."

A sigh of contentment and, "I love you too, Kim. I…" another small yawn emitted from his mouth and she felt his head hang limp upon her. Finally, the wear of the day had overcome Ron. He had been fighting it ever since he had been shot with the tranquiliser and finally his mind and body had given up the fight. There was no need for conversation now, it reasoned.

At least Kim had heard was she so desperately needed to hear from him then.

He loved her, as usual.

"Mm," she murmured as she too felt a strong wave of tiredness wash over herself. Wiggling deeper into the bed and pulling the sheets up higher, she whispered before falling asleep:

"Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day."

Ron's eyes shot open.


	4. Congratulations: Missions Series II

Hey everyone! It's been awhile... again. Okay, I'm sorry but things should ACTUALLY be going quite regular again from here on in. I hope everyone's still wanting to continue the story! I know I sure want to get this done. S4 just started here in Canada, the first week just flew by! One more week of new episode until we have to wait for May for the rest! It's really helped me to get the feel of the characters again. Anyway, time to thank the reviewers for taking the time to give me their thoughts on the latest instalment! It means a LOAD to me- hearts to you all!

Thanks to: zero9q9, CajunBear73, qtpie235, captainkodak1, Shadowlost, Johnny Mac, Ace Ian Combat, John M. Steppenwolf, LJ Fan, Rachel J. Lupin, Razzle Jazzle, Cold-Chaos, Redzin Himself, Meca Vegeta, nakasumisan24 (Long time no talk INDEED. great to see you around again!), Bear & Loo.

-A. King

* * *

¤ Instalment 04 »» "_Congratulations!" -Missions Series II a. & II b.- _¤ 

Come on, even if you make a mistake again and again

No pain is for nothing

There's only one thing we can do

We can do what we put our minds to, that's the only thing that's true.

-Sifo_w_, '_Don't Stop_'

* * *

Stepping down the wooden stairs from the veranda, Kim shielded her eyes from the searing sun blazing overhead. Wincing, she brought up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun's vibrant rays heating her. Squinting, she searched through the lack of scenery for Ron; she knew he was out here somewhere… 

It was the morning after their lovely beetle-catching adventure. Kim had awoken first in a flush when she found Ron to be sound asleep with his head nestled onto her chest, an arm cast over her stomach. With the wonderful feeling of the bed, him and the golden flow of sunlight streaming through the window, Kim had no desire to awaken. But when she ventured for the time, she realised they had better be readying themselves to be prepared when Professor Akari arrived to pick up his beetle and drop them off in the city.

So Kim had gently awoken Ron reluctantly. He seemed a little bemused at first so she questioned if he was okay or whether he was still in any sort of pain; the drugs would have worn off by then. Apparently he was sore in his arm, like a massive bruise, but otherwise he would be okay until he arrived back in Middleton as long as he had the tight bandage around his arm.

Neither of them yearned to change back into their dirty mission wear after that soothing shower each of them had taken the night before, so, still in the pyjamas, Kim brought their clothes to the shower for a quick, basic clean. It didn't matter that the clothes were a little damp after doing the clean—they both knew their clothes would dry immediately after stepping outside.

While Kim primed the bed, making sure everything was as they arrived and packed their belongings (including the beetle still glowering in his jar), she sent Ron to wait outside for the Professor. Presently, Kim continued to scan the bungalow's desert front-yard for Ron.

Then there: if it hadn't been for his darkened mission clothes, his otherwise brightly lit blonde hair and pale skin turning a pure white against the intense sun would have camouflaged him into the light and dirt-yellow scenery all around. Ron was sitting on a rock beneath a bare, perhaps even dead, tree.

"Hey," Kim called out, raising a hand to him.

From what she could see of Ron, he wasn't looking at her, but appeared delighted towards something else and as Kim grew closer, she realised he was more than just simply delighted. He had a grin on his face, so genuine, it spread from ear to ear and he laughed— his voice musical to Kim's ears. As he laughed, he lightly turned his head to one side and his bangs swept through the air for the light to catch each bang causing it to glitter against the sun.

"Kim!" he said light-heartedly. "Shh, come here, but be careful."

"Careful?" Kim asked, perplexed. "What do you mean care—oh!"

Only when she approached Ron did she realise why Ron appeared to be so thrilled. The initial shock caused her to hang back when she saw all the bright yellow butterflies surrounding him and the tree. They were all over him, resting on his hair, shoulders, knees, on his arms and fluttering all around him; the rest loitering around the tree behind him. Because of their colour, Kim hadn't even noticed them, they, as Ron nearly had, blended in with their surroundings.

"Based on last night, I didn't think you liked insects," Kim spoke with dry amusement, taking a seat on a smaller rock next to Ron.

Ron giggled as a butterfly fluttered near his cheek. "Not these!" he insisted, "They're butterflies, Kimbo. Aren't they adorable? And look! They like me!"

"I think they think your hair is a flower of some sorts," Kim retorted playfully. She couldn't help but smile at Ron, so blissful in front of her. He needed to feel this way after being shot in the arm yesterday.

Ron held out his arms, with butterflies resting on his palms. He gently brought a palm close to observe the little butterflies. Then, grinning, he stretched out his hand towards Kim, "Wanna hold some?"

"Mm," Kim smiled politely and held up her hands, "No thanks."

"Oh, c'mon, Kim, these are nice bugs. Not like those creepy crawlies from yesterday… These ones are pretty."

"Well, okay," she nodded, reaching out, she allowed Ron to lay a yellow butterfly in Kim's palm. The butterfly, persuaded by Ron, reluctantly crawled onto Kim's gloved palm and lightly flexed its wings.

"Oh..." Kim murmured when she took a closer look at the butterfly. It wasn't just yellow as so she discovered when taking upon a closer inspection. The butterfly had a beautiful, yellow and golden ornate pattern upon its fragile wings. "They really are beautiful."

She gasped again when two more came over from Ron and one from the tree to flutter around her and inspect the newcomer. Ron laughed as Kim recoiled by instinct when one attempted to land on her hair but upon her abrupt movement, it decided to seek rest on Ron instead. Seeing its friend do so, the others flutter over to Ron, including the one in her palm.

Kim chuckled, "I guess they just like you better." Lifting her head to the sun, she winced again from the heat and stood up. "Look, since our ride isn't here yet, I'm going to go wait inside. My scalp is way fried from yesterday and I don't wish to add to that displeasure." Kim turned her arm inwards and poked at her bare skin, wondering if a burn would already start, the sunscreen yesterday had helped a lot.

"Sure, we'll hang out here." Then he laughed again as two more came to flutter in his face as if jealous and attempting to steal his attention away from Kim and direct it back onto themselves much in the manner of bratty children.

Kim shook her head, amused and headed back to the bungalow where she took seat in an armchair seated by the window to watch for the truck that would be picking them up. From her seat in front of the window, she could _just_ make out Ron's outline of his black mission sweater against the strengthened sun, it nearly rendered Ron invisible.

What a time they had spent here in Australia. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't quite the 'recovery' from their _last_ trip to Australia to help 'cure' Ron of his Australian-skittishness. But at least none of it was _her_ doing (not that she didn't feel guilty about him being shot, _that_ she felt _immensely_ guilty). But then… if she hadn't had pulled Ron when she did, the bullet wouldn't have hit him in the arm. No, it would have hit him straight in the head. Kim breathed out a long, slow, steady breath at that thought. Glancing outside again, she saw Ron cringe with pleasure as a brood of butterflies fluttered down from the tree and into his face. A small smile crossed Kim's face.

Kim had it all and she was content knowing this. She had Ron, and they had the world. They could go anywhere and do anything, just the two of them.

_As it always was. And _nothing_ will ever get in our way._

Near the window, just shy of the sun within the shade, Kim leaned back against the sofa-chair and closed her eyes feeling small speckles of sunshine sprite around her closed eyelids. She rested there, a feeling of immense devotion swirling inside her chest, for the longest time until the sound of honking came from outside.

Perking up, Kim brushed some of her long auburn hair out of her eyes and stood up, peering out the window. There was Professor Akari rumbling up the desert in his jeep, continuing to honk the jeep's horn to signal his arrival.

Grinning, Kim nearly fled from the bungalow when she abruptly halted right before stepping outside. She faltered and leaned back, looking down, then around. She gave the quaint, little house one last longing look. There was a compelling force to… to what? Linger here? Was that the word? With Ron of course… Yes, for a longer period of time…

_If only_.

Giving herself a dissatisfied smirk, Kim reluctantly turned on her heels and continued out the door. Again, she shielded her vision from the sun as she ran up to Akari's jeep, pulling up in the front 'yard'.

Placing her hands on her hips, Kim greeted the professor and checked that Ron was saying a final farewell to his little friends.

"Here's the beetle for you, Professor," Kim said kindly, pulling out the Australian Golden Beetle's jar from within her backpack. She held up the large jar for the Professor to look inside. He adjusted his glasses and blinked several times. Then a large smile crossed his face.

"Oh, thank-you once again, Kim Possible! This is the exact little guy that escaped from me before." Professor Akari took the jar from Kim and secured the beetle in the trunk of the vehicle with other insects squirming in their travel cases. Kim was glad Ron was only just approaching when Akari shut the trunk.

"Shall I drive you to the city now?"

"Please and thank-you!" Kim replied enthusiastically. As much as there was a small desire within her to stay in this retreat with Ron, there was an even greater desire to change into clean clothes.

Ron had left his friends behind, now all gathered around the tree, and hopped into the back of the jeep; Kim taking the front seat next to the Professor.

As the jeep rumbled back the way it came, bumping and rattling over the rough terrain, Kim made chit-chat with the Professor until a conversation died down. Taking advantage of this to check on Ron, Kim rested an arm on the back of her seat and twisted around to speak to him.

"So Ron, were your little friends a little disappointed you had to leave them behind?" she teased, grinning with all pearly whites. But then that grin faded when she registered Ron's expression.

He was sitting right behind her, his hands upon his lap and staring down at the seat in front of him; it looked like his mind was lost in thought. This could be true for his expression seemed extremely troubled.

"Ron? Planet Kim beaming Planet Spaced-Out, is anyone home?" This received no response from Ron, so: "Ron, there's a bug on your hair."

"WHA?!"

Ron immediately leapt in his seat, his seatbelt restraining him.

Kim gave a wry smirk this time, "Just kidding." (Ron sent her a scowl, to which she noticed.) "Hey, none of that. What's up? Just feeling a little groggy from yesterday or what?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, withdrawing.

Kim tilted her head at his submissive actions. "I mean you looked a little down, hey," Kim lowered his voice, even though she knew Professor Akari could still hear. "Ron, are you okay?"

The smile was faint and he didn't exactly look her directly in the eyes when he replied, "Sure, Kimbo. Like you said, I'm groggy from yesterday."

Kim nodded sympathetically, still not completely sure whether or not she should believe him. Her Ron-installed instinct told her not, but she regressed anyway. Whatever was bothering him, he would also be slightly fog-headed from yesterday's events. Although the drugs would have probably worn off overnight, Ron could still be feeling some of the after effect.

"You'll get a nice, long rest when we get back to Tri-City," Kim commented. "That is, if you don't have somewhere else to be." She said this as neutral as possible, meaning his billion plus ten jobs he was keeping a secret.

"I might," he mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else.

Kim literally perked up at his response but he didn't notice, what with his head hanging glumly. Her eyes wandered as she processed the contemplation of having Ron leave her again for entire days, returning once again only at night for a few hours of sleep. Being out here in the outback with Ron, spending the night at the bungalow, had erased Kim's memory of such a time. She hadn't thought Ron would be going back to that temporary lifestyle.

_Well, he never _said_ it was temporary. He just said it being a _secret_ was temporary._

She bit her lower lip, frowning. Looking back at Ron, she reached out and gave him a rub underneath his chin, lifting his head.

Kim opened her mouth to pass on some word of comfort to Ron when at that moment a massive shadow passed over the jeep and a loud thunk indicated something had hit the jeep's hood. Professor Akari slammed on the breaks.

Whirling, around, Kim gasped when she saw that it hadn't been something _hitting_ the jeep's hood, but some_one_ _landing on_ the jeep's hood. A female warrior dressed more like a ninja, long legs and long brown hair held in a ponytail high above her head thrust a finger at Kim Possible.

"Hand over the Australian Golden Beetle!" the fearless warrior commanded with a spat. In a flash, she whipped out a pair of katanas— the sun striking the blades to create a bright, white glow masking Kim's vision.

The Professor trembled, trying to slide himself down in his seat.

Kim and Ron merely glared with _intense_ exasperation beyond anything anyone could ever hope to imagine.

-ø-

The air outside was a strikingly noticeable contrast compared to the constant, claustrophobic heat of Australia. The month was February and while it had felt like July to Ron in the Country Where Murphy's Law Prevails (as Ron so called Australia), he was once again reminded that winter still flowed all around nipping his exposed skin and reddening his nose. It was a relief to finally walk into the mall, pulling off his mittens and stuff them into his jacket pocket.

He had wanted to go back to Kim's dorm first, perhaps have himself a rest again, but he had business at the Tri-City mall after Kim had taken him to the campus nurse to have her take a look at his bullet-wound. There wasn't much she could do other than offer more pain killers and apply a more professional bandage. He'd heal.

Currently, Ron scanned the mall nervously. Hopefully they were still holding it for him.

Ron Stoppable could _not_ believe it was now February the fifteenth! _How_ could he have missed that important date?! Kim must be thoroughly disappointed with him. Heck, he was shocked she didn't have a flame-out with him that morning. Kim was acting as she usually did, which told Ron he had made a _big_ mistake because if she wasn't showing her rage by yelling, then she must be…

_Really, really hurt…_he thought morosely. _Gosh, she must think I don't care for her at all… I completely missed all those signs she said she gave me and then I go and work my ass of and completely forget! _He winced and shut his eyes briefly in his walk. _HOW, Stoppable? How could I have _forgotten_? That kinda timing romance junk is important to a girl! _

Ron knew he had forgotten because he had been so overwhelmed by his jobs. No, overwhelmed wasn't even the word—he had been _consumed_ by his jobs. They had swallowed him up and sucked out all of his energy. Ron had never worked so hard in his entire life and was _still_ sleep-deprived. He had been living on half a brain at the time (well, less than the usual half a brain he operated on) and it caused him to forget all about the special date.

Ron sighed.

On the ride back to Tri-City, after dealing with ninja-lady and a group of henchmen from someone Kim and Ron had never heard of, then _Professor Dementor's_ henchmen then another poacher and two more warriors (all in the days work of a crime fighting teen and her sidekick), on the airplane ride, Ron contemplated his sitch. He had even thought about whether or not he should propose to Kim anymore.

_Not meaning I _never_ would. Just mean, like, now. This year. Maybe I should wait until next V-Day. She'd probably forget and forgive about this one and be all happy cos I proposed to her on the day. Or…_

Or Kim could totally hold the grudge against him and only be enraged at his nerve for waiting until _next_ Valentine's Day.

_Darnit, Kimbo, why do you wanna get married now _anyway_? We're still young. Not that, like, I'm interested in being with anyone else but… ergh. You're making this crazy on me_.

But it all boiled down to the hefty deposit Ron had made on the engagement ring he had personally selected for Kim. If Ron didn't fork over the cash within the week, the ring would be for sale again and he'd lose all of that personal cash he had scrounged for to reserve the ring.

As Ron headed to the jeweller's, he passed the pet store where he had worked. Ron had resigned now that he had enough money for the ring, as he had with all of his jobs. There was no need for him to continue living like a zombie. Sure, it raked in a lot of cash, but he could always go to his parents if he needed anything. The ring, however, _had_ to come from him. That and his parents might've flipped out when he asked for the money. It was by _no means_ a cheap ring.

The thought of Kim's face when she saw it lit a smile on Ron's. Hopefully she'd be in such a revere from the gorgeous diamond to remember it wasn't Valentine's Day anymore.

Ron passed Valentine's Day signs the store owner's had been too lazy to take down, like all the other holidays. Ron peered curiously into a card store that he walked past. The store was nearly exploding with pinks and reds still. He thought about purchasing a card, did one purchase a card for proposals too?

_I hope not cos I dunno if my wallet can take even a buck-priced card! Isn't a ring enough for a girl?_

When he entered the jeweller's, he headed straight for an employee bringing up his deposit on the ring, revealing his receipt. (Ron had checked that it was in his wallet _every_ day.) Even though nothing should go wrong, Ron still caught himself holding his breath as the prim, middle-aged, female employee checked his receipt. Telling him she'd return, she disappeared into the back while Ron pulled out his bank card, ready to make the payment.

"Is this the one?" she asked, pulling out a small velvet case. Of course _she_ knew it was the right one, she was only making sure Ron knew it too.

Opening the case, the employee revealed to Ron the exact one he had selected from the countless others. When he had laid his eyes open it, Ron knew for _certain_ this was the ring for Kim. The band was silver, intricately woven and coiled meeting one another together in the center with a diamond shaped like a heart.

"Yup," he breathed, just _imagining_ Kim wearing it. "That's it."

They carried out their business; the employee brought Ron to the till, he paid for it and kept the receipt. With the ring safely in its velvet box within a bag, Ron buried in deeply and carefully into the bottom of his backpack and left the mall.

He had the ring.

But that didn't mean he had to propose to her _yet_.

Ron returned to Kim's dorm, parking his motorbike in his own parking space. The girls of the sorority had been kind enough to offer him one of their spaces; mostly because they had the space to spare. They weren't overly kind to him, but nor did they seem to dislike his presence. If anything, they were all indifferent to it and couldn't care less. Just so long as he didn't invite any 'friends' to party. It was _their_ house after all. Besides, for some reason, Ron received the impression that the girls _understood_ Kim and Ron came as a pair. Well, everyone but Bonnie.

In fact, he passed her as he headed up the stairs. She took notice of him and sent him a glare that just spilled over with hatred for his being here. Ron didn't know _what_ he had ever done to Bonnie to make her hate him so much but quite frankly, he didn't care. Just so long as she left him alone. And Kim. It really did kind of hurt when people called him a 'loser' and demeaned Kim for being with him. He thought of the ring inside his backpack; he _knew_ he shouldn't care what other people thought but…

_Maybe it'd be better if I propose to her after we graduate from University. Then we won't have to deal with any of these guys badgering her. Not for me, but for Kimbo. What if she gets ridiculed and stuff for being engaged to me? What if they kick her out of the sorority?! Or… or the _cheer squad_?! Kim would go nuts about that! But I know… I know she still wouldn't be mad at _me

Should he put Kim in a position like that?

When Ron came through Kim's bedroom door, walking slightly hunched forwards from his glum state of mind, he recoiled slightly and blinked several times. Observing from just in front of the doorway, Ron could see Kim rustling around the room and stuffing things into her backpack.

Grabbing the doorknob, Ron gently closed the door behind him and walked further into the room. "Goin' somewhere?" Ron prodded, placing his pack on the floor next to his suitcase.

"Yea."

"Oh?" Ron hadn't exactly expected a yes to that question.

"You too."

"Are we?" Then he said teasingly, "Are we eloping or something?"

Kim lifted up her backpack and heaved it onto her bed, wiping her brow. Ron couldn't help but smirk slightly, even if _her_ mind was worlds away, his was thinking how she looked good no matter how flustered she appeared to be.

"Nope. Mission."

"Another mission?" Ron was instantly stunned. They hadn't even recovered from The Country That Hated All Rons. "Don't they ever just, like, take a break or somethun'?"

"Guess not," Kim shrugged and zipped up her backpack. Then she headed to her drawers where she pulled out her famous mission wear.

"We're not going far this time," Kim replied.

"Not somewhere hot again, I hope."

"On the contrary, cold."

"Well I didn't mean _that_ unhot," Ron snorted. "Where to?"

" Washington state, some mountains, apparently this time it's super villain action again."

"Ah," Ron replied simply, lying down upon Kim's bed. He watched her close the door behind herself as she went into the bathroom to change. "I was wondering when those guys were gonna do something again. They've been slacking lately if you ask me."

From behind the bathroom door, Ron could hear Kim's dry laughter but this time it only left the slightest trace of a smile on his face. Sighing heavily, all his mind could focus on was his big decision. It was an agonising guilt that ate at his flesh in the very depths of his stomach. Just thinking of it again caused the feeling to churn inside of him and pump his adrenaline.

Groaning, Ron covered his eyes with his palms and although he ceased his vision, he could not cease those accusing thoughts of neglecting Valentine's Day. Shaking his head, he felt like he had failed Kim.

The _one_ day of the year he was supposed to propose to Kim and he had forgotten. Ron thought about perhaps telling her immediately, it was only just the day after Valentine's Day, perhaps there was room for forgiveness and yet at the same time it totally broke The Rules.

Yes, Ron's The Rules were still very much in affect as they applied to all times. And one of these Rules were that women did _not_ forget and they most certainly did _not_ forgive easily.

_Yet she doesn't seem to be holdin' much of a grudge_, Ron mused as he took a peek at the bathroom door from the corner of his eye. _Or maybe I'm walking on eggshells right now and she's pulling one of those 'friendly on the outside but mad as all hell on the inside' women things. _

_Man,_ Ron thought sourly, resting his hands on his stomach. Rufus crawled over to Ron and sat, hunched, by his face. _This proposing stuff totally sucks. If she wants to get married so badly, why doesn't _she_ just ask _me_? Heck, I'd say yes _any_ day of the year. Doesn't matter what day it is to me, hey, if that means we get to finally— _

"Okay."

Ron shot up and nearly threw himself forwards off the bed in his start. "Okay!?"

"Yea," Kim didn't even appear to notice Ron's freak when she walked out of the bathroom in her mission clothes. She stored away the pair she had just changed out of into her drawers. Without even looking at Ron, she said casually, "Time for you to suit up and then we can get going. We have to take some special bus that'll eventually take us to the airport. If we miss this bus, it'll be another two hours until we can go stop DNAmy."

"DNAmy?" Ron mumbled. Walking up to Kim, she handed him his mission clothes, again, without even looking at him and this he noticed. "Wasn't she…"

"Yes, yes," Kim replied hurriedly, waving Ron away, "The Cuddle Buddies woman, that's her."

Ron chuckled, his head poking out of the bathroom door as he grinned. "I'll bet you'll be excited waiting to see what new additions she has to her Cuddle Buddy collection!"

A well-aimed sock ushered Ron into the bathroom to change.

-ø-

Ron was thankful for the bus ride, and for Kim's thoughtfulness. The long ride allowed Ron to catch up on his sleep, the greyed rain clouds above furthering his passive state of mind. As Ron had been beginning to doze off, his head tilted onto the window plane just beginning to splatter with random raindrops, Kim pulled from within her bag, a blanket. Spreading it out, she wrapped it around Ron and he gave her a faint smile of gratitude before easily falling asleep.

On the plane right to Washington, Ron fell asleep again and when he awoke for the hike to their mountain destination, he was well rested and pumped for taking on the villains and their henchmen. (Well, pumped and ready to leap out of the way as _Kim_ dealt with the villains and their henchmen.)

"So, lemme refresh," Ron commented as he trotted after Kim up the short mound. "This is DNAmy and _what's_ she doing out here? Man, is she pulling another mutant beast thing because I'm so totally déjà vu-ing from the last time we added DNAmy, mountains, snow and –YEA. That reminds me. We're not wearing our winter jackets _why_?" And Ron shivered, rubbing his exposed arms.

"Because I didn't know there would be _snow_ up here," Kim retorted.

"H'mm… so… mountain… winter… And yet no snow? Okay, I don't exactly—"

"Augh, Roooooooon," Kim groaned, purely aggravated. "We won't be walking for much longer, you can see the factory right there."

"What's she got a factory for?" Ron asked, looking again at the large, industrial, grey building just behind some pine trees decked in snow up ahead. It was nearly invisible even so close for its colour matched that of the sullenly, monochrome sky just inches above Ron's head. "Do we have _any_ details at all here?"

Kim reached for the Kimmunicator and did some clicking. Finally, she shrugged, not the answer Ron had been aspiring for. "Not really. I'm completely out of the loop. We'll just go and see for ourselves and we'll handle it whatever seems necessary."

"I hope you aren't planning on knocking on the door this time."

This earned an embarrassed smirk from Kim as she again pocketed the Kimmunicator, "_No_. We know she's up to no-good, that's invite enough to enter through vents."

Ron paused, nonplussed. He turned and headed back in the direction they had came.

"Ron!!" Kim squealed, ploughing after him through the snow. Catching up, she snagged his shoulder, he sighed and didn't resist. "Don't back out on me, are you serious?"

"I _feel_ like it," he grumbled. "I feel like we just did vents _yesterday_."

"Yesterday we were in a tree trunk. Oh! Oh and in a flooded thicket of prickly bushes. Totally different! First entrance and we're out of the vents, mmkay?"

"Fine, fine."

"Badical."

Ron raised a single eyebrow at Kim's mention of _his_ word and was pleased to see Kim give an embarrassed smile in return. From there, Kim led the way through the snow towards that factory. Whatever business DNAmy was conducting, they would find out soon enough.

If it weren't for the thick snow surrounding their feet, they would have been able to reach the factory a lot faster. What took them nearly half an hour should have only been ten minutes to reach the base of the foreboding industrial factory. It didn't help that the snow easily soaked through his grey, canvas pants and made his legs cold.

Ron shivered, holding his bare arms and craned his neck back fully to gaze up at the towering walls. Visible breath unfurled itself from Ron's mouth and he shivered, but whether from the actual cold or from the factory's foreign and foreboding presence, even he didn't know.

"Doesn't even feel like we're in America. Feels like were' in Russia or something. If it were Russia, I bet you would have remembered to bring our jackets."

Kim heaved a sigh at Ron's shot, her own breath forming thickly from her deep sigh. "Thanks, Ron, I'll keep that in mind. Now, do you see any vents?"

"There," Ron pointed, speaking solemnly. Kim was near the other side of the wall and trotted through the snow around her mid-calves towards Ron and looked up. It was really high up, she herself probably wouldn't have spotted it.

"See? You're growing a knack for vents," she teased.

Ron said nothing and looked behind himself. "How're we getting up there? There aren't any trees nearby."

Reaching into her back, Kim pulled out her grappling hook hairdryer. "What do _you_ think," she smirked, toying with the grappling hook in front of Ron's face.

"Well, I dunno," Ron replied thickly, rolling his own eyes, "I thought maybe you'd have forgotten that t—"

"Could you just _PLEASE_ let that go?!" Kim cried with indignation, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Ron laughed silently to himself, very pleased with Kim's reaction. Kim just shook her head at him. "On the bright side," she said, sounding as if she was speaking to the vent she stared at rather than Ron, "It'll probably be warm inside."

"Industrial heating," Ron thought to himself aloud.

"Yea, so think of that."

"I hope that doesn't mean we don't burn to death inside," he commented.

"Erugh."

Her tongue poking out of her mouth, Kim fired the grappling hook with both hands, aiming precisely for the ventilation shaft. Because of the similar colouration, it was difficult to distinguish the vent apart from the wall. But when Ron gave a gasp as the hook latched onto the vent, Kim growled with determination, eyebrows narrowed as she yanked hard backwards and hitting the retract button on the hook. Successfully, the vent covering tore from the way, (the nails sprinkling down harmlessly on Ron's head) and flew somewhere behind them.

Taking aim again, Kim slipped an arm gently around Ron's tiny waist (she noticed him look at her doing so and blink several times with his mouth slightly parted, his version of a blush since Rons supposedly didn't blush) and snuggled him close as so she could pull the both of them upwards.

She allowed Ron to crawl in first and she followed in after him.

"Where are we going?" he asked, his voice now a whisper. Even with the open space behind them for light, it was nearing pitch-dark very easily.

"Just keep going forwards," Kim told him firmly, "Stop we when get to the first shaft and I'll see if we can drop down."

"Y-you promised we'd leave the _first_ opening we came to!" His voice rose in pitch, revealing his fright, "It's… really small in here…"

"Well I just don't want to drop out on top of DNAmy's head… or in the cage of one of her creatures." Even within the dark Kim could see and sense Ron's instant body shudder. Kim chuckled, hoping it would ease him, she knew her voice had that power. "Isn't that what you always tell me? 'Better to be safe than at the mercy of the Villains'?"

"Of course," his voice was oddly confident. "Ok, here's one."

Ron shuffled forwards and struggled to turn around so he could face Kim, the vent between them on the floor. Small rays of white light broke the darkness surrounding them from the shaft.

Squinting, Kim pressed her face close to the shaft and struggled to peer through the small gaps to gather some sort of idea of what was below her…

She let out a high pitched squeal that caused Ron and Rufus on his shoulder to cringe.

"What?" Ron asked warily, still holding back.

"We are _so_ getting out here," Kim replied, her voice giddy.

Ron exchanged a questioning look with Rufus who shrugged. Still inwardly bouncing with excitement, Kim pulled out her laser and sliced around the shaft, catching it before it had a change to hit the floor. With ease, Kim slipped through the hole and Ron clambered with caution after her.

When he landed on the floor and dusted himself off, he instantly understood Kim's reason for squealing. His apprehension was cleared away by a smirking grin. He trailed after Kim who was bouncing on the tips of her feet, hands clasped, as she gazed longingly at the shelves and shelves and more shelves of, what else, Cuddle Buddies.

They had landed into DNAmy's Cuddle Buddy collection room.

_Does that woman bring every single one wherever she goes?_ Ron thought to himself. He had to admit, he himself was somewhat in awe.

"Oh, oh, oh!!" Kim gasped, still staring up at a certain row. She reached out from behind and grappled for Ron's sleeve to pull him closer; he allowed this, absolutely amused to no end. "_Look_, Ron! There's… there's the Dogpher."

"Dogpher?" Ron asked, unable to hide his increasing amusement.

"Dog, gopher cross," Kim replied matter-of-factly. "It's been retired for three _years_ now! Oh, and look!" She pointed upwards again to the left, "It's a Rabphin! Remember? That's the one you got me… two years ago, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Ron replied. "I was almost arrested. How does a guy forget that?" he chuckled.

The Cuddle Buddy he had bought her that she had desired so much as a gift to hopefully appeal to her how sorry he was about the argument that had taken place when their hands had detached. It hadn't worked. It had been the letter he had written inside a card for her that had swayed Kim. He had always thought she had read it right away and still hated him when in actual fact, she hadn't even known it was in the bag with the Rabphin. Apparently, Kim had told him, she only first read it when he was in the coma and had flooded him with adoration when he had awoken on his own.

"It's my favourite," Kim murmured, her eyes scanning the shelves.

Ron ventured to place a hand on her shoulder, at some times, they could still be a little apprehensive when it came to showing their love for each other. But this time Ron had no nervousness and rolled his eyes when Kim didn't even take notice, she was so enraptured with the rows and rows of plush.

_I can see it now_, he thought sarcastically, '_Kim lets the world be blown up because she was so caught up in Cuddle Buddies'. _He thought about mentioning the mission to her again but then, hey, why should he? It wasn't like Ron was in any hurry to continue the mission and face giant, distorted monsters ready rip his innards out. Besides. Kim was happy.

"I wish…" Kim mumbled, still star-struck, "I wish I could have just… at least just _one_ from here."

"Why noooot?" Ron still rested a hand on her shoulder, the other going up in the air without a care.

"Ron! That'd be _stealing_."

"No, I'd call it more like 'commandeering'. They're just sittin' here collecting dust, Kimbo! Do you think DNAmy loves 'em all like you would? She just has 'em so she can have 'em," he squeezed Kim's shoulder, resting her close against him. It was a rare look he saw in Kim, her looking up at him, her hands clasped, blushing and eyes wide as she listened. He basked in it.

"Just take one! You deserve it. It'd be no different than that whole five-five-five dude steal- er, 'commandeering' back his _own_ cash from the banker who stole it from him in the first place, right?!"

"It was SSS, not five-five-five," she mumbled.

"Whatever," Ron sang back, working his smooth talk on Kim. "It'll make you _happy_. What if this place blows up, huh? They'd all go up in flames! Then… _then_ what will you have done, huh?" He leaned in close to Kim, his lips just barely touching her ear, "You know you want to," he whispered.

"Augh," Kim, blushing, became instantly flustered and pushed him away from herself. "Stop that," she replied, agitated. "Maybe… Maybe if we don't blow this place up we can come back for one…"

"Good idea, I won't letcha forget it either, ha ha!"

Kim smiled, continuing to blush intensely, "We should, um, we should actually be continuing with the mission." She strutted forwards, pausing. Ron tilted his head in observation and became startled when Kim whipped around and pointed at him fiercely, "And we speak of this to _no-one_! Got it?"

Was that all? "Sure thing, KP," Ron crossed his heart, "Your deep dark secret is safe with the Ron-Man."

Appearing flustered yet again, Kim rolled her eyes and continued out the door. Ron gave one last look at the collection of plush before running to catch up with Kim. He inwardly hoped he wouldn't have to hit the base's self-destruct switch for surely it would be instant death for him at the hands of Kim Possible.

The hallway Ron found himself in was no better than being in the ventilation shafts other than the fact that there was more room, obviously. The walls and floor were made of metal, presenting Ron with an uncomfortable feeling. At least they'd be able to hear someone before they were coming, that's what Kim said in any case. Ron chose to keep his retort silent: if _they_ could hear people coming then people would be able to hear _them_ coming as well…

As they treaded down the hallway, Ron had to admit Kim had been wrong. It wasn't actually all that warm in here either. Granted, it _was_ better than being outside in the snow, Ron still felt a breeze.

"Shouldn't you have the Kimmunicator out or something?" Ron asked; he pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"Don't need it," Kim shook her head, "We just need to locate DNAmy's main… area… place and then we—"

"Just wing it?" It was more of an actual question than a joke.

"Without blowing up the place," Kim added.

"Note filed," Ron nodded, a small trace of a smile surfaced then vanished. It was then that his ears (and Rufus') picked up a soft sound…

"Did you hear that?" he asked abruptly.

Kim froze, paused, then turned around to face him. "_Please_, don't ever say that to me ever again. Don't ever walk down a hallway with me and suddenly ask if I hear something that you do that I don't. Ever."

But Ron shook his head, knowing the time to which she must've been referring to. "No, really…"

And then Kim heard it too.

"Footstep**_s_**!" she alarumed.

"And not just one…" Ron whimpered, shrinking back.

Kim lifted a warning hand, to keep him from passing her (like he was going to). "It's okay, we can take on these henchmen—"

"I… I _don't think_ that's what we're up against!"

"What?"

Then swirling around to follow Ron's pointing finger, she spotted to long shadows travelling their way from around the corner. And the shapes were _not_ human. Not by a long shot.

"Hide!" Ron panicked and began looking around him for a door he could chuck himself into.

"_No_," Kim demanded sternly. "Stay where you are. They might be able to lead us to—"

But it was too late. The two monstrous beasts had turned the corner and spotted both Kim and Ron. They snorted their shock and aggravation.

Well, Kim had been right by a technicality. The beasts _had_ led them to DNAmy's base within the factory and by personal carrier too. Kim and Ron now found themselves locked in a giant cage that _should_ (as Ron thought) held one of her monsters, surely not two innocent teenagers.

"If you hadn't had argued with me, we wouldn't have been captured," Ron said loftily.

"Oh, funny you should see it that way," Kim replied icily, "I saw it as _you_ arguing with _me_."

Rufus let out a stream of chatters and clicks at the both of them and Ron hung his head. Kim peered at him, curious as to what his pet mole-rat had just told him from a small container next to them.

"Rufus is right. We shouldn't be fighting with each other. Sorry."

"As you should be."

Ron clamped his mouth shut.

"So no escape for Rufus?" Kim questioned, eyeing the mole-rat in his container.

Rufus pushed on the roof and panted with exhaustion, shaking his head.

"Great," Kim grumbled.

"Hey, don't worry, KP." It was Ron's turn to make an attempt to comfort Kim. They were both sitting on the floor. Ron had his legs in front of him, bent. He leaned against Kim and gave her a loving nuzzle. "At least we're safe in here."

Kim gave a sigh, "I love how you always see things that way." But Ron had a suspicion she was being sarcastic. "We still don't have any idea what DNAmy is up to, for all we know, she could be planning to, like, genetically infuse us to one of _them!_"

She gave a lifeless point to the two monsters that had brought them to Kim and Ron's new home. The two new lackeys were an ugly pair, one a crocodile-gorilla mix, the other half boar, half something that Kim couldn't make out (and feared she didn't want to).

The beasts were watching the pair of them from beside a console. The console was massive and stretched from one side of the spacious room to the other. Above the console and on the wall was a massively tilted screen, two larger ones and a bunch of smaller ones to the sides. Kim couldn't read anything on the screens from her distance, but the images were of a circling globe and obscure stats.

"I'd say it's a take over the world scheme," Kim nodded to herself.

"Heh, what makes you say that?" Ron snorted. "Where is the mad-woman anyway? Shouldn't she be here to, like, gloat or something? Or maybe she's callin' up Drakken. Didn't those two have a thing for one another a long time ago?"

"Ew, nastification, _please_." Kim held up a palm for silence. "I don't even want to _think_ of the Villains mingling with each other like that, let alone that house party we spied in on in the summer."

"I woulda won that contest too if you had just let me go in under disguise," Ron muttered.

"I think the Señor Senior Sr. would have been wise to your Señor Ca—"

"_There_ you are!!" came a sickeningly sweet sing-song voice from just outside the door. It caused Kim, Ron and Rufus to cringe; they were no better off when DNAmy, the twisted genetisict with a love for Cuddle Buddies even above Kim's own, fluttered into the room.

"My babies just told me they caught some familiar meanies lurking about!"

" 'Meanies'?" Ron wrinkled his nose.

" 'Babies'?" Kim blanched.

"They passed the message on to my Paraseal", she indicated to a parrot and weasel mix perched on her shoulder. DNAmy bounced up to the cage Kim and Ron sat in, the bird creature squawking on her shoulder. Both Kim and Ron pulled back instinctively.

"What _do_ the two of you want anyway?! Only you two can be up to something really _unnice_."

"Un—"

"I'm not doing anything you should be interested in!" DNAmy continued and scolded. "But, alas, I have to keep you locked up now in case you try to…" Her tone swerved from sweet to deadly, "Try to _stop_ me." Then she whipped around, her short black hair accidentally whipping the Paraseal off her shoulder which it let her know with raucous indignities.

"What _are_ you planning to do?" Ron asked and Kim gave him a thumbs up behind DNAmy's back as she applied herself to the console.

DNAmy turned, smirking with inner pride. "You know those 'special edition' Cuddle Buddies that have been in the stores quite recently..?"

"Nope, can't say I have," Ron shrugged.

"There's whaaaa?!?" Kim panicked, shifting anxiously in her seat. "They didn't have them listed on the site!! Er…" Ron stared at her blankly. "I mean, um… you know… haven't, like, seen them _around_… lately. Not that… not that I'm _looking_ for them _specifically_. You know. Whatever," she attempted a fake shrug. Ron rolled his eyes, his amusement level increasing again.

"We've been out of the country for awhile," Ron admitted to DNAmy.

The bio-genetisct snorted with disdain. "A _special edition_ brand of Cuddle Buddies," she continued, "Has been released recently… by _me_."

"So," Kim, who had been so full of interest and enthusiasm, deflated, "They're not _real_ Cuddle Buddies. They're bootlegs."

Instantly DNAmy flared up, every inch of her (her Paraseal doing the same) seemed to puff out. "They _are NOT_ fakes!!" she shrilled. "They're _special editions_! And I'll tell you why!" Before Kim could give some input, DNAmy scuttled to the console and hit a few buttons, bringing up a map of North America.

"They were made by me for a very specific reason," it was here where the woman gave a malicious chuckle, "Because at midnight to-night… when I activate _this_ switch—" she pointed to a massive one in the shape of an Otterfly, the same Cuddle Buddy that was hanging around her neck. "They'll all become… _REAL_."

"Whoah, for some reason I'm feeling this strange sense of Déjà vu," Ron shuddered.

"And I already know what I'm gonna do! Because then at the end of to-morrow, I'll change them all back to little plush animals."

"And what will _that_ accomplish?" Ron asked, completely baffled.

"They'll want their new best friends back, that's what it'll accomplish!" the biogenetisct shrilled, her eyes becoming frighteningly wild with her vision. "And they'll have to come to me for them! One small price for the love of their lifetime! If the Cuddlers at the Cuddle convention hadn't scoffed at me, they'd have had theirs for free!"

"DNAmy!" Kim appealed, desperately. She shook her head, "You _can't_ do that! DNAmy… these… _creations_ of yours… they're mixed with some of the most dangerous animals! Look at your pets! Even _they_ are unstable! People could get hurt!"

"Nonsense!" she snapped, flashing the gap in her teeth angrily at Kim. Temper beginning to flare dangerously, she continued, "_Everyone_ will want my Cuddle Buddies! They'll play with them and love them and hug them and _adore_ them—just like I do!"

"Not if… if…" Kim grappled for a way to reach DNAmy on a sensible level. "If it's some tiger crossed with a grizzly bear!"

"Oh, but they would!" DNAmy laughed with utter delight, "_Two_ cuddlies in one! _They_ should pay me _double_ for that! Thank-you," she suddenly spoke with unnatural sweetness, the craze abruptly fallen from her voice, "Thank-you for suggesting that to me."

"B-b-but I di—"

"This is insane," Ron commented from the side of his mouth.

DNAmy pranced over to the main console and began clacking away at the massive keyboard. Selecting buttons and hitting switches, maps from all over North America began popping up on the massive LCD monitor masking the entire wall.

Kim's heart thudded and her grasp tightened on the metallic bars of the cage that withheld her. The plush all over North America would be activated at any moment… any moment and what could she do?! Her eyes darted to her backpack on the other side of the room next to Ron's.

_Ergh_! She grunted at herself. _My grappling hook is in there, I don't have anything to work with! Too bad Rufus isn't in here with us…_

Kim was about to make an appeal to Ron when, standing up from sitting down to join her, he tripped over himself (ever the clumsy fool) and… fell right through the bars.

Kim's shoulders slumped as she stared at him from the other side of the cage. Ron stared back with equal confusion, if not more. Ron… He was so skinny that he was able to slip right through the bars!

_Alright!_ She cried the exclamation in her mind, not daring to even whisper it aloud. Grabbing the bars, Kim made to slip through when…

"Uh."

She tugged but it was no use, her hips just wouldn't slide through. Kim nearly growled out loud in ultimate frustration. _DAMN MY WOMANLY HIPS._ Kim blew a strand of hair out of her face absolutely steaming with fury that Ron could slip through and she couldn't. The pleasant smile of amusement on Ron's face did not calm her inner storm.

Pulling the rest of herself back inside the cage, Kim slightly motioned to Ron in the direction of the keys; Ron tilted his head in question. Her patience already shortened, Kim again thrust her head in the direction of the keys; she was eyeing DNAmy's beasts who were watching their master at work…

But still Ron wasn't looking in the direction!

_ERGH._

Violently, Kim tossed her head towards the keys but Ron's expression only changed from amusement to worry. For all he knew, Kim was having herself a seizure. This time, Kim _pointed_ to the keys. Ron's eyes followed the direction of the point. He pushed his glasses up his nose and peered.

"You just wanted me to get the keys?"

Kim could have cried.

At the sound of Ron's voice, DNAmy and her beasts twirled around, all of them gasping to see Ron outside of the cage, especially with the gate still locked.

"Oh, Kim," Ron smirked, closing his eyes and oblivious to the beasts creeping up behind him. "I'm not _stupid_—I was gonna go straight for tho—KYAAAAAARRRRAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Ron was snatched by his leg and yanked into the air upside down by the Crocorilla. Ron had to frantically snatch for his glasses before they smashed onto the floor and break.

"KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!!" he wailed as he swung freely from side to side within the fearsome beast's grip.

Kim could only give herself a face palm. "Yea, NOTE, Ron? Next time—_DO IT SILENTLY_. Thanks."

"Will dooooOOOooOOoooOoooo!!"

Ron was waving about upside down in the air as the Crocorilla carried Ron over to DNAmy. Ron struggled to free his leg from the hairy arm but the beast was so massive and Ron so tiny that he risked injury if he wasn't careful. That crocodile-gorilla mix could very easily snap Ron's neck if he swung him with a little too much vigour.

DNAmy tsked as she bounced up to Ron. Still holding his glasses, he peered at the crazed woman from his reversed position. Kim could see his chest rising and lowering and knew the panic was beginning to seize him.

_Stay calm…_ she thought to him.

"My-my, you just couldn't sit still could you?" DNAmy tsked again and shook her head from side to side. "You had to come and take a closer look! Well, now you'll just have to sit there upside down for the rest of my work before I can deal with you. Can't risk having your lady friend escape while we're putting you back, can we?"

_Dang,_ Kim thought.

"_Sit?_" Ron yelped, incredulous from his unusual view. "Whaddu mean by _SIT?_"

"Shh, shh!" DNAmy fluttered her hands up and down in Ron's face as an indication to lower his voice. "You're disturbing my Paraseal!"

"Oh, like I ca—_OW!_" Ron emitted a high-pitched whine when the Paraseal flew over to him and bit him square on the nose for not keeping quiet. Kim moaned with displeasure.

Fluttering back to its master shoulder, it nuzzled DNAmy's finger affectionately while Ron stared at it with utter hatred. He never liked birds. Butterflies were more _his_ style.

_Oo, you're lucky my butterfly pals aren't here or they'd eat your brains out._

DNAmy clapped to herself as she continued her preparations. "It's really too bad you're so uncool, the both of you." Kim's mouth dropped and an estranged sound of indignation found its way out of her throat. "You," she pointed at Ron, "Could have bought your friend one of my Cuddle Buddies for Valentine's Day!"

"Augph, doghn't remignd me," Ron spoke with difficulty through the nose he still clutched. He still hadn't let up on himself for missing that special day of Kim's.

"Ooo!" DNAmy giggled. She clapped her hands girlishly in her eager, "Too bad you'll both miss out on this wonderful Valentine's Day!!"

_…………………………………………………… _

"**_VALENTINE'S DAY?!?!_**" Ron exploded, releasing his nose. He took a moment to digest the thought. "Buh… buh… buh… but…"

"Yes!" DNAmy squealed and hopped over to another console to pull a lever. "My adorable new Cuddle Buddies will be loved by all the very instant Valentine's Day is over!" She giggled again, "All the boys gave their sweethearts one of my lovlies! Except you."

"Buh… buh… buh…"

"_Ron_!" Kim hailed, trying to snag his attention and attempt to flag him down with a waving arm. "Save me?"

"But… NONONONONONONONO. **HEY!** YO. _Yesterday_ was Valentine's Day. Not _to-day_! Yesterday! Y-you got it all mixed up!"

"I'm afraid not," DNAmy replied sweetly.

"Buh—"

"_Ron_," Kim interrupted with aggravation, "Yesterday was Valentine's Day in _Australia_. To-day is Valentine's Day here and _now_."

"_WHA?_"

"_Time Zones_, Ron!" Kim hollered from inside the cage. "We crossed the International Date Line, remember? Australia's a day ahead from here!"

This notion rang inside of Ron's head like a bell.

"But it won't be Valentine's Day for much longer!" DNAmy chuckled. "In less than half an hour my Cuddle Buddies will come alive!" She waved a waggling finger, "But only temporarily," she sang.

But Ron was no longer paying any attention—whether to DNAmy or Kim's yapping mouth yelling some sort of babble about keys. No, his mind was frozen on one thought and that was:

_It was still Valentine's Day._

Instantly Ron's eyes darted to his backpack lying next to Kim's on the other side of the room.

"Just a few more minutes…" DNAmy giggled under her breath.

Again Ron's mind snapped into reality. "Whatchutalkinbout?"

DNAmy turned to face him, her finger never wavering from over an ominously large button on the control pad in red… "Just a few more minutes and it'll be twelve am, time to active my pets!" She giggled inwardly, "What _wonderful_ surprise everyone will awaken to!"

"Few more… minutes…"

A few more minutes and this time Valentine's Day would _truly_ be over no ifs ands or buts in _any_ region of the planet! Then Ron would _indeed_ have to wait until next year to propose to Kim or so she demanded by some outlandish girly rule.

He stared at Kim straight ahead of him. Although she was upside down in his view, he could still distinctly make out her pleading expression. Was it really for the keys he was supposed to get and save the world from monstrous beasts slaughtering innocent people to death in their sleep? Or was it really about all those hints he had never picked up on? Was she trying in one last desperate act to persuade him to say those (he counted) four, yes it was four, four words to her of an eternal bind?

Ron swallowed hard as he watched Kim jab her finger in the direction of the keys, her face utterly distraught… No… she was pointing to their bags!

She knew then? She _knew_ he had been exhausting himself with all those jobs to purchase her a wedding ring to propose? Was _that_ why she had said to him 'Happy Valentine's Day' that night in Australia? His eyes lit up. She was telling him now because this was her last chance.

_I'm not gonna let you down this time, KP!_

Fiercely, Ron's body sprung into action with extreme determination in his new goal as the clock on the giant screen behind ticked away the time. Hauling himself up, his stomach cringed as he folded himself upwards, holding onto his legs to pull himself up further, as high as he could without his spine snapping. It was just enough for he reached out with his teeth and…

"YAAAARRRRGGGGHHGHGHGH!!!" roared the Crocorilla and flung Ron into the air as it reeled back in pain from the bite it had delivered Ron. Ron's monkey reflexes snapped into action (although his Mystical Monkey Power remained dormant within) and he landed on the ground swiftly on all fours even spinning around in the same movement to face the beast in case it stormed after him.

And it would after it stopped crying. Its friend, the Boar-thing peered over at the injury of their companion, also distracted while DNAmy fussed like a mother hen over her creature. Even the Paraseal let out screaming squawks, hovering over Crocorilla.

Ron stole this moment to flee over to the bags, he heard Kim as he streaked past her, his fists pumping at his sides, exclaiming a whispered: "_Yes!_" And instantly Ron surged with pride swirling inside his pounding chest.

Although he didn't hear her reply with an enraged: "_What?!"_ when he knelt to the floor to rummage to the bottom of his pack where the ring in its case still resided. As he shuffled through the contents of his bag, from the corner of his eyes, he caught the time: 11. 54pm…

_YES!_ He thrilled, the adrenaline and monkey-excitement surging inside his chest as his hand wrapped around the small container but then…

"AAAAAH!!!" he wailed when for the second time he was scooped from right beneath his feet.

Even more aggressively than before, the Crocorilla smashed its long, toothy jaw in front of Ron's face and it took every bit of strength Ron personally owned to keep him from fainting right in the monster's grasp. Those gnarly teeth were but only inches away from his own already impaired nose which he prized greatly. After all, it was the only one he owned.

"You horrible, rotten, no-good, meanie!!" DNAmy trilled at Ron. She bustled up indignantly, her hair flaring along with her temper. "How _could_ you _possibly_ beat up my sweet, adorable, innocent cuddly?" She reached forwards and gave her ugly brute an embrace around his knee, the highest point to which she could reach. The Crocorilla looked down at her with indifference.

Ron gulped in fear, clutching to the case tightly as he swung from side to side slightly.

"Oh!" DNAmy exclaimed and bounced back over to the console. "I almost forget about the others yet to be activated," she chuckled, "A few more minutes…"

Ron's gaze instantly flashed to the face of the Crocorilla when DNAmy left him and paled when the beast seemed to flash him a nastily pleasant look.

"Do with him what you will," DNAmy spoke calmly without evening turning to look at Ron. "He deserves it."

"No I don't!!"

"Kurah, kurah!" cried the Parasel, agreeing with DNAmy.

"Oh, shut-up," Ron snapped.

It was the wrong thing to say. The next thing Ron knew was his head connected with the metallic ground in a furiously fast amount of time and the pain literally shocked through his brain's system and to every part of his body.

"EROOARRRGGH!!" screamed the Crocorilla. DNAmy didn't even flinch; Kim did, however.

"Ron!" she cried, "Ron… throw me the keys! Get to the keys and I can _help_ you!"

"I—" was all Ron could get out before the Crocorilla swung him into the air and bashed him against the floor. Ron let out a sob and a cry from all the pain. His body shuddered instinctively and he prepared himself for another blow, but the beast had a change of plans. The next thing Ron knew, he was being shaken and swung from side to side so violently, he feared his neck would snap.

"_RON!_" Kim cried and reached out through the bars. "Make it stop!" she screamed at DNAmy, "That's sick, just make it STOP."

"Ooo…" Ron moaned when the beast paused to make up its mind what to do next to Ron. "I don't feel so good…"

"Oh, Ron… your head… it's bleeding…"

"No, no, I mean my stomach," he burped. "I _really_ don't feel so good." Then with his free hand, he wrapped it around his stomach. "I'm feeling crummy in the tummy again…"

"… MAKE HIM STOP."

This time DNAmy twirled around, her face perturbed. "Just hold him there!" she instructed the Crocorilla fiercely. "This place is rented! I don't want to clean up the mess…"

The Crocorilla was now holding Ron at a distance with repulsion.

Ron burped again as his stomach gurgled inside. Kim cringed from within the cage. "Just," she called to him soothingly, "Take it easy… Just take a moment to breathe in and out… in and out…"

Ron scrunched up his eyes and focused on what Kim was saying.

"One more minute…"

His eyes snapped open in a panic. "What?!"

"One more minute and Valentine's Day is over!"

Ron gasped audibly (mistaking the gasp for a sign of something else, the Crocorilla furthered the distance between itself and Ron). His head whipped to look at the clock ticking away the seconds, then at Kim within the cage.

"When you've gotten yourself a breather," she was saying, although he did not register, "You can go for the keys again. It's not like it's a surprise to them by now."

His face taking a sudden turn of severe determination, Ron looked at the velvet box within his fist and with all the strength he still had, he flung it straight at Kim.

"YES! You had the keys all alo— " Kim reached through the bars and caught the box. Holding the box like she would a key in a swift moment, it was only when the box hit the keyhole did she release she was indeed holding no key. Pulling the box inside the cage, she flipped open the lid to reveal, not a secret key as she inwardly hoped it would, but a tiny, glittering ring.

"Ron. It's not a key."

"Kim…" Sure, _now_ the adrenaline had to confiscate his body, great. With his heart urging to burst free from his chest, he declare: "Will you marry me?!"

"…"

There was a pause from everyone. DNAmy turned around to stare at the two; even the Parasel found itself squeakless.

"What?" Kim asked.

"I SAID—" Ron withdrew a huge breath and called out to Kim while still swinging from side to side upside down: "WILL. YOU. MARRY. ME?!"

From inside the cage on the other side of the room, Kim withdrew an agitated sigh.

"Well, duh, but my priority at the moment is a _KEY_ to _FREE MYSELF_. You know, so we can _SAVE THE _WORLD"

"Yea, yea!" Ron replied back, his attention suddenly becoming preoccupied with the violent motions of being swung around violently, up and down—he had a weak stomach and this was worse than the rides at the Middleton Fair—the ones where he usually lost his lunch on!

He was able to add in an equally irrate voice (if not more), "I'm—" he was cut off briefly by being slammed into the floor yet again, "—Working on it!!"

"Oooo, you two are going to get _married!!_" DNAmy shrilled with utter delight. "I need to call Monty right now, he owes me some money now…"

"You—" Ron hit the floor again—"_WHAT?_" Kim chorused this.

But if DNAmy responded, Ron wasn't able to hear for the Crocorilla let out an insidious roar before _throwing_ Ron, just like he had thrown the box with the ring to Kim, across the room.

"ERGH!" Ron cried out when his back connected with the metallic wall. He heard both Kim and Rufus cry out in alarum. His chest heaving, Ron opened one eye and saw the Crocorilla coming for him quickly… Then…

_Plop!_

"Huh?"

Something had fallen onto Ron's lap from above. Picking it up, he released it was… _the key!!_ It must've have fallen from its hook when Ron had impacted with the wall!

"Kim!" he alerted and threw the object of her desire straight at her.

She caught it. "Now _this_ is what I'm talking about!" she grinned and aptly released herself. The cage door swung open, all monsters turned to stare her way, including the Crocorilla who was now just a foot away from Ron ready to do her now fiancé some serious damage.

It was Kim's turn to tsk.

"What goes around, comes around," she sang, then sprang into action. Flipping forwards on her hands towards the beast, she gave it a harsh connecting blow with her foot then leapt into the air for a more than well-deserved kick.

His spine aching, Ron pulled himself up and rubbed his head. His eyes focusing, he saw Kim now taking on all three monsters at once while DNAmy, distracted from her plan, fluttered on the outskirts of the skirmish with her Parasel in fear of her monsters.

"Leave them alone!" Ron could hear DNAmy wail from time to time.

Leaving, the monsters to Kim, Ron knew he could still help their sitch.

As awesome as Kim was with her fighting skills, she still had her work cut out for her she had _two_ beasts to fight. Standing up, he rushed over to the console, still unseen and searched for a specific button… His eyes rapidly scanned all the different labels but didn't find what he was looking for except for one, large red button would have to do (he hoped).

Raising a finger above the switch, he raised his voice and shouted: "OK, NO BODY MOVE OR I'LL HIT THE SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON."

Everyone froze. Only one of the monster's whiskers twitched.

Hopping into view from behind one of her beasts, DNAmy applied her tiny hands to her cheeks and squeaked. "That's not the self-destruct button! That's—"

"Ah?" He heard Kim groan from behind while his eyes again scanned the console. "But it's the big red button…" he muttered.

"No, no, the self-destruct button is _green_."

"Green? Since when are they ever green? Is it, like, 'in' this year?"

"If so then remind me to pay Shego her five bucks next time we see her," Kim grunted.

"This one?" Ron asked, locating a green switch on the console.

"No, no, _that_ one!!" DNAmy shrilled, "Don't press it! Don't be—"

"This one?"

"No the one further down."

"Right, so this one?"

"Yes! But do—"

"ALRIGHT NO-BODY MOVE OR I'LL HIT THE SWITCH. This place will make a nice _crater _on the maps. I hear Cuddle Buddies are pretty flammable," he added this last part with particular malice.

At that last mention, both DNAmy _and_ Kim looked as if their knees were going to give out from underneath them. It was Kim who caught her bearings first:

"Ron! Since when is the self-destruction switch ever_ green_?! That's the _activate_ button! She's bluffing you!"

"No I'm not!" DNAmy spat at Kim. "Don't press the green one!"

"It's the red one but don't hit it!"

"Oh man…" Ron moaned, distressed. "Which button…" Rufus leapt from his shoulder to the console to inspect both switches and shrugged. Sucking in his breath, Ron stretched his arms, his right-hand finger above the green, his left over the red.

"NO-BODY MOVE OR I'LL HIM EM BOTH. AT THE SAME TIME. IN UNISON."

DNAmy nearly fainted, "But-but! M-my plan! My Cuddle Buddies! They're here—you c-can't!!!"

"Yea, I know," Ron smirked, "Now that's why I'm givin' you to _ten_ to move your stuff outta here. Otherwise your plush will go up in flames." (From the corner of his eye, he could see Kim falter, probably just as horrified as DNAmy inside at the notion of burning Cuddle Buddies.)

"Alright, alright!" the bio-genetisct sobbed. "J-just don't… don't hit the switch! I'll," she looked around herself, pulling off her goggles. "I'll go and pack!" To her monsters, she sang, "Lovelies! Come follow Mommy!" She turned and glared with hatred at Ron, "Thanks to this _horrible_ meanie who ruins all of our fun!" In response, Ron purposefully twitched his fingers and frightened DNAmy right out of the room.

"And we'll be watching the security cameras to make sure you're really gone," Kim added, motioning quickly to the set of televisions to the side of the main screen.

When she was gone and Kim and Ron could see her pilling her Cuddle Buddies into a truck on the screen, Kim clapped softly.

"You know, I always thought only Drakken was _that_ dumb," she remarked slyly as she strolled up leisurely to Ron.

Ron shrugged, "She just reminded me o'the time you went ballistic when I took your Pandaroo outside in the rain to play 'undersea adventure'."

"Right. Thanks."

Kim reached forwards and Ron recoiled slightly. He fussed a little, but allowed Kim to touch his face and wipe what he assumed was blood from his face. Sniffling, Ron gave Kim a pleasant smile when she pulled back and peered back at him, probably observing his cuts and bruises. They smiled at one another for quite the time until…

They stared at each other for a moment, neither blinking. Ron knew what was coming next…

Kim shook her head then reached into her pocket to pull out the small velvet box Ron had thrown at her. It was inevitable that she would bring it up.

"So what's this about?" she asked, "Where did _this_ come from?"

This time, Ron blinked, then became flustered and puffed out his chest. He glanced at the giant timer on the screen: it was no longer Valentine's Day.

He pointed at the screen, "Just for the record," he replied, matter-of-factly and puffing out his chest further, "I made it on time and you said 'well duh' which totally meant yes _before_ 11.59pm!"

Kim's eyes followed his finger to the screen, then back to him. Ron began to feel oddly uncomfortable with the look she was sending him. It wasn't the 'Oh, Ron!' he had been opting for, complete with leg-poppings and arms being thrown around his neck for an embrace. It was more, like… 'what the heck is going on here?'. His confidence went straight down the drain when Kim next said:

"Aaaand… what's so special about 11.59pm? It was a glass slipper with Cinderella, not a ring."

Ron frowned, "Because… it's still… _was, _er… still Valentine's Day! KP! I didn't miss it after all—because of time zones like you said! I might've missed it back in Aussie Land but not here, I made it! See? I proposed to you on Valentine's Day." And she was _still_ giving him that peculiar look. "Just like you wanted…"

" 'Just like I'… _What?_" She gave a short nervous laugh but cut herself off. "And what in the world gave you the impression I wanted you to propose to me on Valentine's Day? Ron… we're not even _twenty_ yet."

Ron stood, double blinking as if he'd been caught in a lie and was furiously trying to work out a suitable alibi.

"I," he stumbled, "I didn't think it mattered. Cos… I… didn't… think it mattered…" He paused, anxiety flashing all through his body. "I love you."

"I know _that_. I'm talking about this V-Day proposal stuff."

"You were dropping hints."

"I was?" This time, Kim appeared seriously shocked. Her eyes went wide and she furrowed her brow in deep concentration. Her voice became suspicious and Ron didn't understand why. "When? What signs?"

"Well… okay so I don't exactly know either—" (Kim arched a single eyebrow.) "—But you said you were!"

"I did?"

"You did! You said to Monique you've been dropping hints and I wasn't picking up on them and that you wanted me to propose to you before Valentine's Day cos you thought it was all, like, romantic 'n junk so… so…" Ron took in a deep breath and exhaled, "So I'm proposing to you. On time!" he sounded less proud when he said this yet _again_.

Kim's eyes fell to the floor and Ron had to crane his neck downwards to catch a better look at Kim. He called her name softly and watched as she began to slowly shake her head from side to side.

"Oh, _Ron!_" It was still not the 'Oh, Ron!' Ron had imagined she'd give her. He then found out why: "You were eavesdropping on my conversation with Monique at the café in January, weren't you?"

"W-well… I, uh, I wouldn't call it," (he used air quotes) " 'eavesdropping' per say. I'd say, more like… 'having myself a croissant and being able to hear girls talk a little too loudly behind me because I can't exactly shut off my ears'."

"You shut off your ears in math class."

Ron's mouth opened and closed like a fish on land gasping for air.

Kim shook her head again, "Ron! Augh, Ron… you didn't hear everything from our conversation, did you?"

Ron shrugged, "There were other people talkin' too."

"If you had come with me to see the _movie_ we saw, you wouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that I was talking about you!"

"_Movie_?"

"I invited you to see the, how did you put it? Oh yea, 'chick flick' movie Monique and I went to see. It was called 'Heart Day Love'—it was about a guy who has to propose to his girlfriend on Valentine's Day but he keeps missing and then they're like, eighty years old and—"

"Guy shoulda learned the art of eavesdropping," Ron muttered, placing his hands on his hips.

"You should have learned to not jump to conclusions," Kim returned. "Why in the world would I want you to propose to me?"

Ron recoiled.

Kim obviously didn't realise how hurtful her words were until they all came out. She gasped covering her mouth and looked into Ron's eyes. Wounded.

"Uh…" she paused, feeling awkward and began to blush. "Ron… I didn't mean it like that!"

"No, no forget it, KP. We… we can just go back to being 'us' like before, okay?"

"Ron, wait… Look, when I said—"

She was about to say more when it was then she suddenly remembered something else.

"This… _this_ is why you were working all those jobs!" Scandalised, she pointed at the box in her other hand. "_This_ was why you worked so… so _insanely_… _stupidly_ hard to make money! This…" Kim flipped opened the box to take a better look at the ring. It was…

It was _divine_. How in the world could Ron have afforded such a ring? Well, she knew, but even so! It had hardly been two months that he had worked those_ minimum_ of four jobs. He must've used some of his own money as well! (She doubted he was able to tap into his naco royalties bank account which, after that first disaster, he wasn't allowed to touch until he was announced legally dead.)

The ring was of silver with an ornate, sublime design to appear that it was coiling around the finger it had not yet touched. There were three stones, two smaller on either side of the large glistening diamond in the centre in the shape of a heart; the two smaller were also heart shaped. It absolutely glistened within her eyes and Kim found herself suddenly and inexplicably short of breath.

It wasn't just how beautiful and expensive the ring was. But it was how Ron, when he 'discovered' he had to propose to her on Valentine's Day, didn't say no. Didn't say 'next year' or talk it over with her.

Instead, in the short amount of weeks he had, he worked himself to the point _no-one_ should work and all just for her. She still remembered vividly how Ron would come back early the next day to collapse, his muscles absolutely giving out on him from a hard days work. It was so… She did _not_ have a tear in the corner of her eye.

Sniffling, she mumbled to Ron, "Ron… you're so stupid," she sniffled again, trying very hard to stop the corners of her mouth from twitching upwards into a smile. She poked at her eye as if stuffing any slipping tears back in. "I can't believe you… like when you came back at night all exhausted, I thought… I didn't… it was all for me…"

"Yea, but hey, it's okay."

Kim made a small sound in the back of her throat.

"No really, it is."

Kim looked up, wondering why he was shrugging so nonchalantly. Then she was even more surprised when he reached out and placed a hand on the maroon velvet box and shut it; his hand lingered on top of hers upon the box.

"I can just, like, y'know, save it for another time or something."

Giving another sniffle and a hiccough, Kim stared stupidly at Ron. "What are you talking about?"

Ron gently pulled the box closer to him with Kim's hands still underneath his. "You're right. I made a mistake, no big. We're not even twenty yet. 'Why would you want me to marry you?'. So I'ma just keep this for, um… Just keep it."

"N-no!" Kim stammered, "I didn't mean it like that! I was just _confused_. I… It's not that I don't want you to _never_ propose to me. I just didn't know why so abruptly and on Valentine's Day, okay?" Kim gently pulled the box closer to herself. "What? A-Are you taking back your proposal?"

They were staring directly into one another's eyes, neither of them able to look away from the depths of each other's; each trying with all their might to read the other's thoughts, a not so impossible feat.

It was awhile before Ron could form thoughts into spoken words: "Are you saying you still want me to propose to you?" He tugged the box back towards himself.

"And…" Kim murmured, still unable to redirect her eyes from Ron's. "I want to know if you're taking it back."

"It's, um…" Ron's pale, freckled cheeks tinged with colour in his flush. "Only if you want it to?"

It was Kim's turn to take the box back to her side. "So you're asking me?"

"If you want me to."

"Do _you_ want to?"

The colour in his cheeks brightened.

"Why not?"

"I agree."

"You do?" his voice wasn't even yet a whisper.

"I do."

"So…"

"So I'll marry you. Besides," a faint smile spread across Kim's face. "I bet you lost the receipt for this and you won't be able to get your money back."

"Probably not," a grin slowly made its way upon Ron's.

He was the first to break eye contact when his eyes darted to the box and then… then he slowly released his hands atop of Kim's. He released his hands, pulling back, allowing Kim to draw it even closer to herself and even to open it once again, the ring visible to both of them again.

"And what does it matter?" Kim's soft, distant voice, continued, she too looked down at the ring. "We're together anyway. I know I want to be with you forever, I _can't_ be with anyone else. So age doesn't matter to us."

"Right."

"We might as well. We've known each other longer than anyone else at our age. That's why."

"Exactly."

She looked up at Ron and a full blown smile flooded across her face when she saw Ron's eager, joyful expression, he was bouncing slightly as if already ready to explode with happiness.

"I'm _so_ going to marry you!" Kim broke into complete harmonious laughter, not a nervous laugh to be found.

Ron finally burst, no longer able to contain his excitement and Kim let out a small, yet happy, sound of surprise when he attacked her in a mad hug, arms thrown around her neck, complete with leg-popping action.

"We're gonna get _MARRIED_ and have children and then _THOSE_ children will have children and then those children's children—"

"Yes, yes!!!" Kim replied, jumping up and down with Ron, _now_ the embarrassed fluster was beginning to show through! " 'Children children'— I got it, I got it!!"

"I _LOVE_ you so much, I just… you… **_BOOYAH!!_**"

-ø-

Returning to the sorority, Kim had bypassed Bonnie. Kim especially went out of her way to 'discreetly' show off her ring. Watching Bonnie's jaw drop in something that was awe, shock and the shivers was more than satisfaction for Kim as an estranged sort of 'revenge' for all the years Bonnie had bashed, smashed, ridiculed, sneered and cruelly verbally abused Ron and Kim's relationship. It was the ultimate 'in-your-face' and Kim smirked when she walked up the stairs to her room, Ron trailing in utter obliviousness to the score that had just been settled.

It was late when they had returned and neither of them were quite in the settled mood for homework. Both of them were fizzing with energy and neither could stop chattering about… well… about each other. It was as if this ring now coiled lovingly around her left ring finger was a key to a door that flooded with memories. Kim and Ron could not stop talking with sentences that usually started with 'Do you remember the time when..?'.

They were loud at times, bursting with laughter and screaming with delight at a particular memory. It was a good thing the other girls were up late having a party for some member (the rumour was punk-girl had gone for her first manicure) so their trailing voices disturbed no-one.

It didn't help that Ron brought out some of his spark rocks candy, and it gave each of them an insane sugar-rush. Rufus joined in too but conked out on the fun pretty early and had fallen asleep hours ago in his king-sized doggie bed by the time the sugar-rush finished running its course through Kim and Ron. They were now talking to each other in low voices about this and that, being the best friends they always had been and always would be.

Kim was laying on her bed, the both of them still in their mission clothes (somewhere along the insane buzz her mind had been in, she had found it to be a good idea _not_ to change into something else in the small case that it lead to something else what with the insane high they had both been on). Her head rested dully upon her pillow, one arm above her head, the other softly playing with Ron's hair. He laid with his head gently upon Kim's bare stomach, his own arm stretched over her, the other tucked close to himself. Both held their eyes lazily feeling quite fatigued.

Kim loved this.

She loved how even though she loved him and enjoyed giving him kisses, nothing had changed between them—even now that they were engaged—they were still able to act as they had through their entire lives. As Kim had once told herself long ago: being romantic with Ron only brought more, it didn't not change anything that already was.

Kim lifted her hand that was above her head to cover a yawn. "You know," she said, "We should visit my parents this weekend and tell them."

"Mmm."

Kim smiled ruefully at his lame response and scratched him particularly well at the base of his head; he purred with contentment.

"Yea, yea," Ron said, in response to Kim's suggestion. "Just s'long as your Dad doesn't send me in a black hole. Heh. Again."

Kim chuckled, "I think he'll be pleased this time."

"You don't think _they'll_ think we're too young or anything like that, do you?"

Kim had no idea, but that wasn't the answer to help reassure Ron. After all, her Dad had an intimidating effect on boys.

"I bet they've been secretly betting behind our back that we'd get married. One of them will fall to a large amount of money this weekend so I think it'll make them happy."

"I disapprove of gambling because in other words," Ron added, "One of 'ems been betting against us. Ten bucks says it's your Dad."

"Ten bucks says you're a fussbudget."

Ron snorted.

"What do you have to worry about?" Kim continued, "I'm sure they'll be thrilled. Besides, it was you on the airplane ride back from Washington who said you don't care what other people think."

"Your parents aren't 'people'."

This earned a round of soft laughter from Kim. "Thanks," she remarked sarcastically, "I'll be sure to tell them that."

Ron lifted himself up and rearranged himself so he was underneath the covers and lying next to Kim, his head sharing her pink pillow.

"It sucks that we've got class to-morrow. Think maybe we can skip it due to our special occasion?"

"Absolutely not," Kim replied unyielding. "We've already missed enough with these missions and I haven't finished catching up on homework yet either."

Ron let out a yawn. "Yea, yea, okay."

"Ron?"

A grunt.

"The Parasel loves you."

Kim lifted the plush Cuddle Buddy of the very same parrot and weasel cross that had bitten Ron on the nose and pressed it close to Ron's face as if it was nuzzling him. When Kim and Ron had been leaving DNAmy's factory after they made sure she was gone, Kim insisted on stopping by the Cuddle Buddy collection room hoping something had been left behind—nothing had been. Except for the Parasel that Ron picked up in the corner of a shelf Kim had not seen.

"I don't love him back," Ron replied haughtily. "And neither does my nose. Their relationship will never be the same."

Kim giggled and again made the Parasel nudge Ron affectionately; he didn't object. Leaning back, Kim checked the clock and realised it was a _lot_ later than she thought it had been. Now that she focused, she realised she could no longer hear the cries and laughter of the girls downstairs. Shifting the Parasel to her other hand, Kim flicked off her lamp light and settled underneath the covers with Ron. Then it was _her_ turn to give Ron the affectionate nuzzles, _this_ he reacted to by nuzzling against her in return.

"You know," she heard his soft purr come from just below her ear. "We're engaged now…"

"I knoooow…" Kim stared off into the dark, her eyes still unadjusted. She rested her palms upon his chest and rubbed absent-mindedly. "I know," she repeated.

The next thing she knew, Ron had pressed his lips against hers in a long, slow but forceful kiss. When Ron was about to pull away, Kim gave him one of her own, this time placing her hands on the back of his slender neck. Pulling away, Kim stared where she knew his eyes would be if she could see through the darkness and blushed.

From there, she felt Ron shift himself closer to her, weaving his arms around her waist and pulling himself against her, attempting to perhaps lay himself on top of her as he gave her another kiss.

"Ron…" Kim murmured when Ron gave a brief pause. "You know… not yet. I'm not... not yet."

"But we're engaged," his voice returned from the darkness. "You said—"

"When we're married," Kim responded, "We're not yet."

Silence.

"Please," she added.

"Of course," he finally spoke. She felt Ron slip somewhat off of her yet give her a squeezing hug. He kissed her check and nuzzled her softly. "Night, KP." Before Kim could allow herself to even apologise to Ron and give him a lame excuse, he said lightly, "Good-night, Parasel."

This cheered Kim up and she wrapped her arms around Ron, reassured that Ron wasn't _that_ sore regarding her decision.

She supposed Ron eventually fell asleep with her in his arms. Her eyes adjusted and she could just make out the outline of Ron's face, so close and gently breathing rhythmically.

Inside, Kim still didn't know how long she could put this off for. Once they were married, which she realised was now sooner rather than the far, _far_ later she had been expecting, Kim would run out of excuses.

She loved him, she… _wanted_ to but… not yet. Just not yet.

-ø-

The week passed the both of them by as fast as Kim had expected it to and soon enough it was Friday— the day, after classes, Kim and Ron would head to her house in Middleton. Kim had phoned her Mother the day after Ron 'proposed' to let her know they were coming to stay for the weekend. Of course, Kim, although boarded at the University, still technically lived with her parents at home so her Mother expressed cheerfully she didn't even need to phone. Kim kept her engagement a secret until she could tell both her parents in person.

It was so refreshing to spend an entire week with Ron again. It hadn't been something that had lasted too long after Winter Break what with Ron raising money for her engagement ring. In fact, it was the _first_ week since for things to return to normal. This time there was no parting sadness when Kim headed for cheer practice, leaving Ron behind. For as soon as she entered the football stadium where Kim's cheer practices were held, Ron was right there in the stands with the friends and boyfriends of the other girls in her squad. Yes, Ron was right there, everyday, waving to her with that enthusiastic grin of his that always warmed Kim's heart.

On that Friday after practice, Kim gave a last wave to Ron, telling him wordlessly as always she'd meet him at the other end after changing. It was right as she was doing so when she felt a shadow loom over her. Instincts taking hold, Kim whipped around, intuition expecting a henchmen or Villain, reality telling her she was close but not quite correct. It was Lonnie. That was odd.

"Yes?"

"Need to speak with you. Like, now."

Kim double blinked. Was she in some sort of trouble? Or…

_Oh-no. Don't tell me. _Please_ don't tell me she's kicking me off the squad because I've been missing practice!_

"Uh, one sec," Kim held up a finger, appearing embarrassed; Lonnie gave a low snarl. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Kim shouted to Ron just as he was leaving the bleachers, "I'll meet you back at the dorm, okay?"

He paused, brief confusion, then nodded and gave a final wave of goodbye.

Once all the girls were inside the stadium, Lonnie led Kim to one of the benches and pulled out her cell phone. Checking it, she flipped it shut and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Kim's lips burned to ask, 'Did I do something wrong?' but decided to wait to make her appeal to stay on the team.

"Look, this is how it is," Lonnie continued, gazing at Kim as if she didn't really care who the heck was standing in front of her. "I graduate this year and the squad'll need a new captain. I'm choosing you, got it?"

"M-me?" Kim stumbled. Normally she wouldn't have been startled, but given the circumstances… "Are you, like, serious?"

Lonnie squinted at her as if in disgust, "Uh ya, I am. Look, you may lack—"

"Yes, yes, I know," Kim rolled her eyes. "But I make up for it in my moves."

"Exactly," Lonnie sniffed, staring off to the side. "You're the only one who's had any team leader experience and quite frankly there's, like, _no_ chance I'd pick Bonnie. Pfft, ya, right." Lonnie shook her head and flipped open her cell again to stare as she spoke.

"I only put her on the squad or she'd tell Dad and get us into trouble. Oh, like we really need that, the little tattler." 'Us' and 'we' probably referring to Lonnie's sister, Connie, who attended Upperton University; it was known that the two sisters were very close often leaving Bonnie out. "So that's it, but don't go around saying anything, I don't want to deal with the backlash of picking a freshman."

Kim nodded. "But why tell me now?"

"Tchach," Lonnie shrugged, leaning on one leg, "Cos I just thought of it?"

_And she might forget the next night,_ Kim smirked with irony to herself.

"Well, thanks for choosing me."

"Whatever," Lonnie let out a long sigh then strode towards the stadium entrance. "I'm going to be late."

Kim stood alone on the stadium grounds as she watched Lonnie disappear. Once Kim was _positive_ Lonnie had left, she could no longer contain that leap of joy that had been swirling inside of her.

"_YES!_" she squealed, "I'm going to be the new captain agaaaaain!" Kim sang this to herself as she skipped into the stadium to change. "Uh…" with all the jumping around, the tube top of her cheer uniform slipped slightly despite the straps. "And once I am, I vote for more practical uniforms."

Hurrying to change, Kim couldn't _wait_ to tell Ron the good news. Surely he would be excited for her! He knew how much it meant to her. (He had listened to Kim's rants and sobs at the After Nationals Cheerleading Party last year how she knew she wasn't going to be cheer captain anymore next school year in University.)

_Everything_ was going as how it should and Kim just_ had_ to hum a tune to herself as she walked through the beautiful campus grounds, bag slung over her shoulder. She couldn't remember the words, but it was the tune to that outrageous song Ron had once sung a few years ago for a school essay.

The February breeze played childishly with Kim's hair, as if it too were congratulating her—and not just on her new position next year at University, but as well as her recent engagement to Ron. Kim stretched her arms, reaching for the sky as she walked and basked in the little bit of mellow sunshine that swam throughout the air.

_Life is _wonderful _I love it! I love Ron, I love cheerleading; I love my _life

Continuing to swell with glorious feelings, she hummed, smiled and skipped all the way to the sorority house and even up the stairs. Oh, how hard it was to contain boasting from Bonnie as she passed her! How difficult indeed!

She was still humming as she fiddled with her keys when she remembered it was probably already unlocked. She swung the door open, absolutely unable to wait in shutting it and whisper to her best friend and lover urgently on the bed the good news. No-one else was supposed to know yet, after all and—

"_Ron!!_"

Dropping her bags and keys, Kim stood in the doorframe in utter shock. Her brain struggled to make some comprehension of what she saw before her.

Ron was on the ground in front of the bathroom and was struggling, his arms shaking to crawl over towards her. Kim's mouth dropped in horror and her eyes became stunned wide open; she stood, beginning to shake too. Ron's head was hung low, his bangs drooping thus obscuring his face. But she didn't need to see his face to know he was coughing violently.

Wheezing, he again tried to pull himself on the rusty-red carpet over to Kim. And it was because of the carpet's colour that she only realised once she had fled to his side that he was also coughing up...

"You're coughing up _blood_!!"

Unable to respond, Ron took in a deep, wet breath and let out another round of hard, coarse coughs. Wheezing in and coughing out, Ron's body shook uncontrollably as she _knew_ he was begging for the coughing to stop.

Even though she was kneeling before him, she wasn't able to react properly yet. Her hand was shaking, covering her gaping hole of a mouth as she stared down at Ron in aversion. He scrunched his hand into a tight fist before him and continued to cough, wheeze and splutter, his diaphragm going into overdrive to keep him from suffocating.

_Oh goodness… his diaphragm… H-he… _

And then she knew what had happened to him, he hadn't fallen mysteriously ill. No, he had just been forcing himself to vomit up his food again while she had been having her meeting with Lonnie and finally, his diaphragm must have backlashed on him after all those times of eroding it by performing this act.

"I…" Kim placed a hand on Ron's back and began to repetitively rub his back quickly, more out of a nervous, panicked twitch than anything else. A particularly violent set of coughs released itself and Ron heaved a gasp, a gasp for breath and a gasp for exasperation. Some blood landed on Kim's pants.

"I'm phoning the campus nurse!" she declared. _No! I should phone 911!! Oh goodness, what do I do?!_

Frantic, Kim attempted to push herself and over to the phone by her bed but before she was even on her feet, Ron unexpectedly lunged at her, causing her to cry out. He wheezed hard in reaction to that burst of movement of his and hacked some more before finally gasping:

"_No…_"

Kim was too beyond filled with revulsion by what was going on to defy him at the moment. But as she watched Ron, an arm on her lap, his head hanging over her legs, she _knew_ she had to help him! Again, she went to stand, but Ron applied strength to his arms on her legs that she wouldn't have known him to have in his fight to keep her sitting.

"_Ron!_" Kim let out, aghast. "I _have_ to call for help! Y-you're coughing up blood for crying out loud!!"

"No, I…" Ron coughed less but continued to gasp. He let out a sob before continuing, "I'll be okay."

Kim was shaking her head slowly, "N—"

"It's okay," Ron said again, after a pause to regain air to speak. He took another pause and Kim should have taken that time to leap for the phone and dial help, but she found that she couldn't. She was entranced with hearing what he had to say. "This… It happened before… just… Not as bad. But," he added hastily, "It goes away. Just if… I do too much at once. I'm… I'm okay."

Kim's face was still twisted into an emotion of repulsion and despair. She paused and then…

"How can you _say_ that!" she suddenly exploded. She gave a small sob, but wouldn't allow any tears to surface, instead she felt herself becoming angry. "You weren't _supposed_ to be in there vomiting, Ron! You darn well _know_ that!"

"K-Kim…"

"No. I'm pissed off at you, you know that? You _know_ how upset this makes me and you said _this—THIS—_happened to you before and you didn't tell me or just STOP?"

"Kim…"

"I mean what was that stupid stuff you said about letting me help you and you knowing this was wrong and you wanting to stop, HUH? LOOK. You're coughing up BLOOD, Ron. That's _blood_. And yet it STILL doesn't penetrate your mind?! You _proposed_ to me, Ron. We're _engaged_. We're going to be _married_. And you can't deal with something stupid like this? What the heck is this, Ron, huh? I just—"

But then she stopped in mid-sentence when she was able to hear the soft sounds: the soft, quiet sound of Ron crying. She halted, blinking in confusion finally capable of ceasing her fury for a moment.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed when she stopped yelling at him. "I-I didn't… didn't know it would happen again… this is the second time, I didn't know. I didn't say anything cos I was too scared… Kim, I'm sorry, I try. I tried, I try… I do… I couldn't h-help it—" He gave a hiccough. "Don't… yell…"

Kim opened her mouth as if to yell again, but caught herself before she started. Ron's head was still hung over her legs, his arms crossed on her before him and she felt the small touch of some sort of wet droplets land on her legs. This time, she knew it wasn't blood, it was tears.

"Oh, Ron," Kim swooped onto Ron's back to embrace him. Gently, she rubbed his back, smoothing the hiccoughs and sobs out of his system as he quietly wept. She gave an exasperated sigh but enveloped his emotions anyway.

She had been so terse, so… so unbelievably _shocked_, that's what. It had been her anger overleaping her fear of what was happening again. Normally she had this in check, but in the outlandish moment, she had lost herself. She was beyond frustrated especially when she had _seen_ how much damage Ron was doing to himself. And keeping it from her at that! It seemed like no matter how many times she tried to help, no matter how well Ron appeared to be coming along…

Kim just couldn't understand _why_.

They sat there on the floor for a long time until the moment Ron had stopped sobbing, stopped shaking and pulled himself upwards. Kim stared deeply into his eyes that travelled around the room—they were sore from crying but she saw his remorse and determination to put what had just happened behind him.

Giving a last sniffle, Ron stood up, Kim still sitting on her legs below him.

"I packed my bag," he said.

It numbed Kim to how easily he could just speak as if nothing had occurred, minus the sniffles in his nose from the recent cry. But then she supposed this was something he had mastered, after all, he had her fooled for years.

Kim looked at his backpack on the bed. "Is everything you need in there?" she asked, following along. "You should be packing more than me."

Ron shrugged, "I don't need much. If I need anything, I can always hop home and pick sumthin up."

Kim nodded silently and stood up, picking up Ron's backpack into her arms. "I just need to pack a few last things and then I'm ready." Kim gathered these few last things from the bathroom and a few from her drawer that she stuffed into the backpack she had on the floor (she also packed the Parasel).

"Don't forget to bring your homework," she added expecting a groan from Ron. He gave no reaction.

When she felt she was done packing, Kim snuggled her pack onto her back and lifted Ron's into her hands as he grabbed his jacket. "Alright, let's get going then," she glanced at the clock on her dresser. "If we leave now, we'll be able to make it in time a little before dinner."

Ron opened his mouth as if to say something or perhaps make a joke, but opted on saying nothing for a change.

"Sure you don't want to bring Rufus' bed?" Kim teased, lightly batting Ron's arm with her own.

Ron stood, his shoulders ever-so slightly slumped with his eyes shimmering with a far-off look to them. It was like he was looking at something that wasn't there, or that his mind was worlds away from the present.

"Ron?" Kim called again gently.

"Na, no room." Ron shrugged and turned around. Watching Ron's awkward, sullen behaviour perturbed Kim but he then turned around and a hint of that trademark Ron grin slowly faded onto his face. "If you don't hurry, I'll go without you," he teased.

"I'm coming!" Kim wailed as she trotted out of the room, struggling to scoop up her own bag and keys from the floor and catch up with Ron at the same time.

As she was locking the door, Ron standing ever-so obviously close to Kim, she thought to herself: knew she was supposed to just pretend what happened didn't— just as he was doing. But inside, there wasn't any way Kim could be able to do that. They could shelf it for now given the circumstances while Kim and Ron surprised her parents with their joyful news, but it would have to be brought up again and what with the now upcoming marriage, Kim dreaded it. Just when Kim had been proclaiming silently to the world that all was right in her life, it had to throw this back into her face. It was like events like these always took a turn for the worse and tore the two apart.

_Well, just let it,_ she challenged.

The drive from the bustling, thriving Tri-city to the comfortingly mellow life of Middleton was a quiet drive for Kim and Ron. Kim laid her head upon Ron's back, clinging lightly to his waist from behind as he drove them on his motorbike. She could still feel an odd tension between the two. So in this forced silence, Kim continued to dwell on what had happened upstairs. She thought on this so hard in fact, that she didn't even notice they had reached Middleton until Ron pulled up in her house's driveway and sat up.

Sitting up as well, Kim gazed up at her recognisable house., nothing about it had changed. She had last seen this place during Christmas Vacation and yet it felt like it had been far longer than that. Kim always missed home (although she never missed her _brothers_).Carrying their bags, Kim pulled out her house keys and entered her familiar household without so much as a knock.

"There you are! Welcome back, Kimmie!"

Instantly, Kim's Mother graciously leapt from the chesterfield to embrace her daughter the very moment Kim walked in the door. Her Father strode up from his favourite armchair and presented Ron with a hand shake and nod.

After the four of them completed their welcoming greetings and how do you dos. Her parents instantly noticed Ron's new glasses and complimented him on the flattering look they bestowed him.

Kim told her parents they would be back downstairs to talk and catch-up with one another after she and Ron dumped their bags in Kim's room. Upon reaching her bedroom after walking up those flights of stairs she and Ron had run up and down all through their lives, Kim paused momentarily. She took the last step from the stairs into her loft and soaked in the reassurance her room brought to her. She was pleased to see that everything was as she left it, not a thing out of place. Obviously, her parents had barred the Tweebs from running her bedroom into an experiment chamber.

Pushing past her without even pause for any kind of past recollection, Ron heaved his backpack off his shoulders and left it by the base of Kim's bed. Reaching out, he took Kim's bag that she handed to him and placed it by his.

"So, uh," Ron began to stutter, snagging Kim's attention away from her room. Too bad they were only staying for the weekend. "When are we going to tell your parents?"

"After the chit chat." Ron gave her a questioning look. She smiled. "_I'll_ bring it up. You just…" Kim strode past him and down the stairs, "Sit and look pretty as usual."

Ron scowled, trotting down the stairs after her. Together, they rejoined on the chesterfield with her parents. Her Mother took seat on the sofa next to Kim, her Father situated once more in his favourite armchair looking entertained. Kim noticed this pleasing expression of her Father's eased Ron substantially as he sunk into the plush seat next to Kim. Although she did notice he was careful to leave an appropriate amount of space between himself and her.

Before her parents could pose any questions, Kim began the routine— polite talk of how things have been going lately for her and Ron at University. It felt a little odd to be having such 'formal' talk with her parents when she was so used to being casual with the both of them. Were her parents receiving the same perception? Well, this was how things would be as she continued to grow into a young adult.

"Oh," her Mother began, "It's been insane at the hospital lately. Honestly, I'm being called at all hours."

"Wow, how many people _need_ operations on their brains in Middleton?" Kim asked, partially making a joke.

"Everyone," Tim said as he marched down the staircase. His twin brother, Jim, right behind him. "Everyone's gone into such a high state of bliss since you left, it busted their brains because they're used to _you_ bogging them down." Jim snickered.

However, Kim did not. "Don't make me throw this pillow at you," she growled, placing a pillow from the sofa onto her lap. "I've been improving my aim."

"Don't take that for granted," Ron advised and Kim shot him a look.

"Now, boys," Mr Possible admonished his sons as the twins entered the living room. "Do you really have to harass your sister the moment she comes home? She won't be here for long so you should spend time with her while she's available."

"Ew, no!" Kim stuck out her tongue.

"What are you talking about?" Jim asked, repulsed. "She was _just_ here during Christmas Break! I thought we wouldn't be seeing her until summer again."

"Ah, the broken dreams," Tim smirked.

"You could have at least _called_ to _warn_ us."

"Yea, we would have spent the day _away_ from home."

Kim let out a snort and cast her head away from her brothers, loftily putting her nose in the air.

"Well don't worry about it. I'm only here for the weekend and I don't know when I'll be back again."

"We're hoping for 'never'," Jim scowled.

Tim picked up the television remote from the coffee table and began flicking channels on the adjacent sofa. (Ron appearing rather forlorn as the remote was whisked further away from him, Rufus on his shoulder with the same expression.)

"Turn down the television," Mrs Possible told Kim's brothers. "You don't have to engage in a conversation with your sister but we are."

"Fiiiine," Jim rolled his eyes and lowered the volume only by a single notch.

"Why _are_ you here anyway?" Tim asked, staring at the television lazily. "It's not even a long weekend!"

"Yes, Kimmie, we've been wondering that ourselves," Mr Possible added, turning his attention back to his daughter. "It's not that we don't want you to drop by whenever you like but you haven't been doing so previously so we're just wondering!"

"Just because you're in University now," Mrs Possible added, "And growing up—"

"Ew, YUCK," Tim and Jim shuddered and sent wary looks at their sister as if she were about to spawn into a mutant. Kim reacted to her Mother's remark by blushing.

The twin's reactions sent a smile onto Mrs Possible's face and yet she continued as if she had not been interrupted.

"It doesn't mean this is no longer your home. You still live here to us, Kimmie."

"You don't need an invitation," Mr Possible confirmed.

"Okay, okay, thanks." Kim blushed all the more and found herself to be constantly smoothing out the pillow on her lap in her embarrassment.

With all the blushing she was already doing, she began to wonder how on Earth she'd manage to tell her parents the big news. With a side look at Ron, she realised she'd receive no help from him. His hands were folded _too_ neatly on his lap as he stared at the television a little _too_ determinedly.

When Mr and Mrs Possible no longer spoke, Kim knew it was time for her to say something or an awkward silence was bound to pop up. And then no-one would be able to start a conversation from that! Oh, why didn't she just tell her Mom over the phone instead?! This was going to be a _lot_ more difficult than she thought it would be.

"Well, we came back to visit and…"

Her parent's expressions remained stoic. And yet Kim could see as if they suspected something drastic.

Kim slouched her shoulders dramatically in a signal of defeat and blurted it out: "I thought I'd come back to let you guys know that Ron and I are engaged now."

Ron, whose eyes had been glued to the television suddenly started and turned to look at Kim with a somewhat blank expression— like he hadn't even heard a word Kim had said.

"EEEWWWWWWW," Jim and Tim burst, suddenly springing up from their seats and staring and Kim and Ron. "You two are getting _MARRIED?_"

"Aren't you too a little _young_ to get married?!" Jim recoiled.

"You're not even adults yet!!"

"Are you eloping?"

"How come you don't have a ring on your finger?"

"Was Ron too cheap?"

"I'm right _here_…"

"When are you getting married?"

"_Why_ are you getting married?"

"When did he propose?"

"_Why_ did he propose?"

"_Where_ did he propose?"

"Does that mean you're going to have kids?"

"I'm too young to be an uncle!"

"Does that you mean you guys have already—"

"Enough!" Mr Possible burst, cutting in at just the right moment for Kim's cheeks sakes. Mr Possible reared himself straight, pulling himself from his seat in his armchair to appear imposing. "If you boys can not be mature enough then I want the two of you upstairs in your rooms _now_."

"But—"

"_Now_."

"Don't you wanna know too?!"

Jim and Tim turned to face their Mother whose expression was just a stony as her husband's. "Listen to your Father, boys."

"This sucks," Tim snorted, stomping off in the direction of the staircase.

"I wonder if they—"

"_NOW._"

"We're going!"

Everyone could here the grumbles of Jim and Tim as they stomped up the stairs with extra stomp and headed to their room. Once they had left, everything became oddly quiet in the sitting room, or maybe it wasn't _that_ odd with the twin's outburst following Kim's news. Ron was beginning to pale, his hands still folded and this time he stared at the coffee table. Kim was shifting her gaze from the pillow she continued to smooth out to her parents, checking their expressions. It was extremely difficult for her to read their expressions too, Kim couldn't decide on an emotion to pin on them so Kim gave up, waiting for them to respond.

"You're getting married?' her Father finally spoke.

Kim lifted her head from the pillow. "Yes."

Kim's Mother's eyes darted to Kim's hand, "Do you have a ring?"

"Oh! Yes, I took it off so it could, um, be a surprise." Shifting, Kim withdrew the tiny ring from her pocket.

"May I see it?" Mrs Possible asked. Kim nodded and handed it over to her Mother. "It's very lovely," she said, "Very beautiful, you're lucky. It looks like you put a lot into getting a ring like this," she nodded approvingly towards Ron. Ron looked at her blankly and sat a little straighter.

When Kim took it back, she slipped it back onto her ring finger and stared at it for awhile before she asked the question she had been burning to know.

"You guys aren't _mad_ are you?"

Mr and Mrs Possible exchanged looks as if swapping thoughts and immediately responded.

"No!"

"Not at all, why should we be angry?"

"We're thrilled!"

"We always hoped…"

"Congratulations to the both of you."

"It's just…"

"Just what?" Kim thought she'd be furious with such a reaction from her parents but realised she wasn't. She felt more curious and… guilty. It's not that she was sharing the thoughts she knew her parents were about to bring up, right?

Again her parents exchanged looks and Mrs Possible sighed. "Well, it's like what Jim and Tim said."

"You can't be serious."

"… Aren't… it's not that we don't like you, Ron. We really are happy for the both of you. But aren't you two a little…"

"Young?" her Father finally put in.

"You're only eighteen."

"I'll be nineteen at the end of March," Kim retorted but knew it was not the appropriate response. She wondered if she should reveal to her parents about Ron believing he had to propose to Kim on Valentine's Day. That really was the reason they were engaged, after all. But Kim had agreed because she _did_ desire to marry him… _eventually_.

Kim's composing thoughts were suddenly rattled when her Father abruptly said in an accusatory tone: "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Wha?!"

"NO!"

"_Dad!!_"

"We haven't even—" Ron blurted but cut himself off. Now he did one of the few rare things seen in a Ron: he blushed. And he blushed intensely at them. Immediately he stared at the floor.

"Aww, Dad!!" Kim cried, placing a hand upon Ron's back. "Now you scared him."

"Then why else are you getting married so young?"

_Now _Kim recognised that outrage beginning to boil within her. Ah, it was a hard thing to keep in check, really. It began to stir such thoughts: How could her Father assume such a thought? How could he assume that as the_ sole_ reason for Kim and Ron becoming engaged?

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe we just _love_ each other?" Kim spat, glaring. Ron, whose arms were wrapped around his stomach, lifted his head, looking continually spooked.

"O-of course!" Mr Possible stammered, "It's just that—"

"Ron and I have known each other since Preschool," Kim continued distinctively. "We've known each other for a lot longer than _most_ people who get married at, like, age _thirty_!"

"Kimmie—" But her Mother was cut off.

"You know, I thought the two of you would be _happy_ for us! But I guess I was wrong. It shouldn't matter what age we get engaged. The fact still remains is that we love each other and we know it and we already _know_ we want to be together forever like we have _already _so what's so wrong about confirming it legally?"

"Kimmie did we _say_ we were happy for you?" her Mother asked in a soft voice.

She paused. "Dad didn't sound it. The way he _accused_ us."

"I'm sorry, Kimmie-Cub. I shouldn't have, you're right. But with most—"

"We _aren't_ 'most' teenagers as you should know!"

"Kim, please! Don't get so angry," Ron finally murmured. He gently leaned against her, still hunched over. His eyes wandered to her parents then dropped to the floor as he said, "Maybe I shouldn't have come, cos, y'know…"

"Ron, don't be!" Mrs Possible said hastily, "You have to admit we were shocked and just wanted to _make sure_," she added this clearly. "But we are so _very_ happy for you! We always hoped the two of you would be together."

"We did," her Father nodded.

"You did?" Kim blushed, tone becoming gentle again.

"Ever since the two of you were toddlers while we watched the two of you play in the backyard," Kim's Mother added with a wistful smile.

"Mom, that is _so_ embarrassing," Kim grinned while casting her head away.

Mr and Mrs Possible chuckled. "So when do the two of you plan to get married? Are you planning on having a ceremony?"

"I hope?" Mr Possible added.

"Oh! Ummm, well…" Kim twiddled her thumbs.

Ron sat himself up looking extremely relieved and laid himself against the sofa. "We haven't actually thought of that yet."

"In the summer?"

"Maybe."

"Whenever you feel like it?" her Mother was obviously prodding for a definite response.

"I guess."

"Or maybe they can just get married when they finish University," Mr Possible suggested openly, "That would be a nice celebration, wouldn't it?"

"Unless we want sooner, that does sound like a good idea," Kim smiled and nodded. She inclined her head at her now fiancé. "What do you think, Ron?"

Ron shrugged, spreading his arms along the back of the chesterfield. "As long as we get married one day."

Mrs Possible laughed.

"So what did prompt you to propose to Kim?" Mr Possible asked posed this question to Ron.

The boy's eyes popped and his arms slid down onto his lap. "Well, uhh…"

"It's was me," Kim pointed at herself hastily.

"I proposed!" Ron injected haughtily. There wasn't any way he was allowing Kim _that_ credit.

"But we had talked about it beforehand," Kim added. "And we liked the idea so Ron agreed he'd save up for a ring and propose to me."

"Right," Ron replied, this time sounding exhausted.

"So you two must have had this under wraps for a long time," Mrs Possible said.

"Sure felt like it," Ron sighed.

Again her parents laughed and this time Kim was included, but only because she knew the _real_ reason why he had said that. Kim was fretful that if she told her parents the truth behind Ron's proposal, her parents might think it not to be as meaningful as the proposal truly was. It could be just taken as a 'mistake' and perhaps they would try to persuade Kim and Ron to hold off even on the engagement.

"Have you told your parents yet?" Mrs Possible asked of Ron.

"Er, uh, no. But I think Kim 'n I'll go visit 'em to-morrow. Right now, I'm kinda hungry."

_You would be_, Kim thought darkly.

"My goodness, you're right!" Mrs Possible pushed herself out of her seat and glanced at the clock. "I better go start finishing dinner. It will be ready soon though."

"I can help," Kim said cheerfully, resting the pillow neatly next to herself as she stood up.

"Oh… honey," Mrs Possible cupped her hands. "I really appreciate that, but I'd really like to have Ron help me."

Ron smirked boastfully standing next to Kim as tall as he could. "Heh, yes, because, um Kim? The_ last_ time you helped us out in the kitchen, the fire department said the next time you caused another fire they'd have to take you to the police to file you as a pyromaniac. Coming, Mrs Dr P.!" He called as he jogged into the kitchen after her Mother.

"Augh!" Kim let out disdainfully. "I am _not_. I can cook. Right, Dad?"

Mr Possible had just been lifting up the newspaper from the coffee table when he froze. "Well…"

"Dad! That potluck I made for my end of term dinner for my Home Ec grade last year! You said it was good."

"Yes, I did," her Father admitted, hiding his face behind the newspaper. "But your teacher was sitting right next to me."

Rolling her eyes, Kim decided she'd go into the kitchen and join in whatever conversations her Mother and Ron were having. Although she'd stay well away from any preparations of the food.

During the time Kim chatted with her Mother and Ron in the kitchen as the two cooked together, Kim internally wondered if some front had suddenly been hung up between herself and her family. Perhaps it would show at dinner time when they were all together again and forced to share conversation (especially with the Tweebs there! Kim dreaded that.). She was careful not to show how guarded she was, in case her parents thought _her_ the one with the false mask to cover the previous misunderstanding about her betrothal to Ron.

She was pleasantly proven mistaken.

Of course, Jim and Tim started to tease the moment they trotted down the stairs and parked themselves into their seats at the dinner table. Mrs Possible quickly hushed them with threats of no supper. It worked for the short term for they made small wise-cracks every chance they had. The dinner conversation with her parents was the same as Kim remembered from long ago: of work and school and of life in general.

How joyous it was for Kim to come home from University and find everything to return to how it had been. Ron was usually quiet when he ate with her family, mostly talking to only her as her parents had their own conversations or with her brothers. She dearly hoped that it wasn't Ron that was feeling Kim's previous distance from her parents. Kim only desired for Ron to be as he had been with her parents since he had been a little boy in preschool… and for her parents to continue to see him in that way. Not just as 'the fiancé'.

Kim observed her Father critically inside, knowing he would be the source where any disruption would come from. But he was all grinning and happy with Ron and the two even shared talk about Mr Possible's work at the space station. Nothing was forced or false.

_Everything's going to be perfect,_ Kim thought to herself. They had always been one family hadn't they— including Ron? He had always been accepted by her parents; and the only boy who had ever been granted her Father's permission to share her bed. Surely other boys would have killed for that bestowment.

At first Kim found herself beaming. Then a new thought crossed her mind.

What if her parents didn't _really_ understand the concept of marriage that would apply to Kim and Ron was the same that would have applied to Kim and any _other_ boy? Did they just see it as Kim and Ron being together as a promise? Perhaps they did not see… the _other_ kind of love—other than that intense devotion that had bound them for years?

Kim flushed. _Well, they _had_ first assumed I was pregnant so obviously they _can_ think of Ron in that way whether or not they 'allow' it or not…_

"Kimmie-cub?"

"Dad!" Kim perked up from her thoughts and shook her fork at her Father. "You have _got_ to stop calling me that! I'm going to be nineteen this March!"

But whatever declaration of age Kim announced to her Father that she had reached as a reason he should stop calling her the nickname he had called her since she was a little always went by without any recognition. Yes, some things, so it seemed, would _never_ change.

After dinner and the after-dinner activities including watching _Pals_ (Kim admitted to Ron that they had surely jumped the shark by now), it was time to retire to bed. Kim and Ron said their sweet-nights' to her parents and departed up the loft stairs into her bedroom.

Stepping inside, Kim flicked on the light and the lava lamp Ron had given her years ago to match the one she had given him. _Now_ she was able to have a good, long look at her old room. It still felt like her room.

Yes, this was her bedroom, not that hole in the sorority. Oh the memories that had occurred in this room! _Every_ spot Kim laid her eyes upon brought forth some memory of her and Ron and their long journey to their final togetherness.

There… the place she had struck him on the check. There!— where he had been overpowered by his Mystical Monkey Power wanting her. And there… on the bed where they had told each other they were in love. And there… Yes. This room contributed so much to the locations of their relationship landmarks. And yet even so. She could enter this room and not have a darkened cloud of the past's cruel memories erode inside her. She could still step forcefully and proudly into this room and hold her head high—never wavering in the slightest. She wished Ron could… _was_ feeling this too.

Ron stretched his arms behind his back and expanded his ribcage, giving a sigh.

"This room still feels like home to me," he said, observing Kim's bedroom. It seemed to give answer to Kim's internal wish for him.

Then her eyes flickered as another… more recent memory returned to her.

Walking past Ron, Kim let out a snort but said nothing. Curiously, Ron walked forwards to try and glimpse her expression but she was being rather tactful at avoiding his eyes. Bouncing himself down on her bed, he leaned back on his arms and regarded her.

_Uh-oh, something's up…_ Although Ron had no notion to what it could be about. Certainly _he_ didn't do anything wrong while visiting her 'rents, right?

_Ah, now I know,_ he nodded, _She's going to go into a rant about revealing the marriage thing to her parents. Or maybe about her brothers. Well, nothin's gonna avoid it so might as well tip the lid now._

"KP."

She twitched at the mention of her name yet did not turn to face him.

"So how'd you think it went?" Ron ventured, sounding rhetorical on purpose which was just the bait for Kim's response.

With stealthy eyes, he watched her body language intently. Ron had been trained since near birth to pick up on Kim's cues. He knew every movement of hers; what every twitch, sigh and blink meant. He could be the world's most forward professor on Kims if such a position ever existed. It sometimes made Ron exasperated to witness how poorly some people handled Kim and could set her.

"Didn't say much myself but I think you took control of things as best you could. At least your Dad isn't preparing that black hole for me, right?" and he left her to fill in the blanks.

Only, she didn't go for it. That full-blown rant Ron had left for her did not implode. No, Kim said…

"Yea, I thought so too! I mean, I knew they were going to be a little wary at first; I didn't want to say that to you to scare you or anything because I _knew_ they'd be okay with it in the end. And they were! You're already like part of the family." She gave grunt and rolled her eyes, waving a hand in the air, "And the Tweebs acted as I knew they would. There isn't anything to stop _that_ from happening. But whatever, I just wish they hadn't done it when we were telling Mom and Dad. You know, at dinner, I thought things would be tense and awkward—but they weren't! Didn't you notice? I did. I—"

"Can I put a cork right there?" Ron laughed. "I had been expecting a rant from you, not a full-scale attack of chatter! Yea, we just got to wait out the actual marriage thing and I'm down with that if you are." He yawned. "Maybe it'll… it'll…" he yawned again, "Keep that jock-man away from you."

Kim stood by the bed, blinking over him. "Why did you think I was going to rant?" She sounded nervous; Ron opened a closed eye to watch her fidget anxiously.

"Because of the way you were acting. Like now."

"Like how?"

"Like you're worried 'bout something, that's what."

"No…"

Ron sat up, taking up a serious face. He patted the space on the bed next to him, indicating Kim should sit. She didn't, she walked back in front of him, but refused to seat herself. That wasn't good news either, Ron grimaced. _Somethin's seriously on her mind… _

"What's up?"

"I—"

"Okay, rule numero uno of being almost married," Ron butt in smartly, lifting a finger. "No keeping stuff from each other. We know what happened last time you kept a secret, oh yes we did. So now you're obligated to spill it out." His eyes bore into hers, absolutely unyielding to Kim's desperate ones. He wouldn't break. But it seemed that being stern with her wasn't going to work either. Ron knew what to do.

Ron reached out for Kim's hands and clasped them in hers. She gave a soft gasp when he gently manoeuvred her onto his lap. He nuzzled her gently and heard her give a sniff. Yes, he was an expert at handling Kims.

"What's bothering you so much, Kimbo? You sound really upset; you should tell me, you know that." He gave her cheek a small lick.

Flushing, Kim leapt out of his arms and away from him. _Now_ Ron was positively baffled. He let her see this in his eyes and hers still remained fretful. Although it was his hurt curiosity broke Kim down and she threw up her arms in exasperation.

"The Rules! That's what's bothering me."

Ron frowned. "Which 'Rules'?"

"The one regarding what happened this afternoon."

"What happened this afternoon?"

Kim made a choking sound within her throat and her eyes narrowed. Ron knew she was losing her temper; he sighed.

"When I found you on the floor coughing up the blood— _that_ this afternoon! You know, you don't exactly forget a sight like that very easily. At least I don't!"

"KP—"

"You're sleeping downstairs to-night."

Ron fell silent.

"Don't make this more difficult than it already is, Ron." Did her voice begin to tremble? No, had to be his imagination. "Don't give me any of that… that…what you do to try and make me change my mind. None of that. Suck it up, Ron."

"KP!"

"You should go now."

"Already! Kim, can't we even just hang or ta—"

"You know where the pillows and blankets are stored."

Ron stared hard at the floor. It took awhile for him to move.

"Ron." Kim shook her head, her voice defiant. "Don't make this harder than it already is."

It was then that Ron lifted his face and now it was _his_ expression that had become desperate and hurt.

"You're going to make me sleep downstairs?" he asked blankly. "After what happened to me? After… Kim, it was horrible and I didn't want—"

Kim sat gingerly at the edge of her bed, careful to avoid Ron's eyes. She knew how they would be and how she would feel if she met them. It was a lot harder for her to be stern with him than she supposed she came across.

"You know the rules," she replied delicately.

Ron blew out a sigh then heaved himself off her bed. He wavered slightly, standing next to it and her before taking a forceful step away.

"Yea," he said, his tone darkening for only a moment. "I know the Rules. I know them so well by now."

Kim opened her mouth but no sound came out as Ron quietly, and impassively, left her room, his blonde head disappearing as he traipsed down her loft stairs and out of side. For a slight minute, Kim felt her heart begin to beat and a panic course through her. She leaned as far as she could on the bed to try and catch one last glimpse of Ron—but she couldn't even see past the first few steps.

Pulling back, Kim turned her head away, thoughts coursing through her mind. It was challenging, even more so now after the terrifying time he must've had while he coughed up the blood in her arms. He should have comfort and solace for such a terrorizing ordeal. And Kim wanted to gift him with that comfort and solace… so… so _much_. But how could she if that terrifying time of Ron's was initiated through an act that deserved punishment?

Was it becoming better? This problem of Ron's?

There had been that time when she hadn't been able to help him as closely as she could have. But even so! Last year, on her birthday—he promised he would allow her to help. He acknowledged what he did was damaging him and that if she could guide him; he would be willing to stop. Ron would listen to her and puff his chest with pride when he ate moderately and followed her after the meal without taking a diversion to the washroom to cough it all up. He took his pills too. The times when Kim found that Ron had given in to his cravings were far and spaced apart. Once he had managed three times a month—that was his record that Kim knew. She had been so impressed with him that month and had pampered him for it. She thought that if she returned him with a great reward for his good behaviour, it would persuade him to strive for it again— for something better than before and in achieving that, he would have to give in to his craving less.

But it wasn't happening that way.

Stress was a key factor to his giving in; as was solitude and damaged feelings. But there had been none of that; none of that in such a_ long _time. Yes, they _had_ improved with his purging. But that 'had' was just that. A '_had'_, not a '_were'_—not a _were_ improving.

_Because it seems we've come at a stand still. _Kim admitted this to herself. _It's as if I can do no more to help him! Like he's always going to give in at least a few times a month and there's nothing that can be done for what… the rest of his life? _

Was that acceptable?

To Kim's determination and can-do attitude, it wasn't.

_There has to be that place in time where he can stop _forever_. People have done it before, why not Ron?_

She had talked with him about it on those rare nights—just the two of them.

They would sit close and hold one another, feeling and receiving nothing but the other with their heads tilted upon the other. Kim would whisper to him, talk to him through-out the night and it would be one of those_ rare_ moments that they could not have during the day when they were completely and one-hundred percent open to each other like no other time, so raw. Everything was taken down and their personalities left naked. Those talks… so deep, so personal, for only one another that they shared and was to be hidden from their other sides.

Ron would be so honest in his emotions and feelings. He would say it all clearly for how it was for him. But those nights were hard to achieve, it was not that they could just sit beside one another and start talking. Even as Kim reflected, she could not remember how their conversations lead to such a shared openness.

Yet Kim recalled that even _those_ nights were no longer helping him. So what could she do? What was left for her to aid Ron? Just apply him to these…

_These stupid 'Rules'? That make us both upset and angry? This is the only thing left in our way—why can't I _fix it

From there, Kim flopped herself on her bed backwards and let out a long groan. _Now_ how on earth was she possibly supposed to have any sleep that night?

If she did, then it was very few and broken constantly by her dreams and thoughts. She would wake to find her heart beating fast and felt her body seized with an inexplicable urgency to uncover a solution. _Why?_ She would ask herself. _Why am I feeling this rush? _She blamed it on the recent conversations of matrimony.

She wanted this over and done with before they were married. Her marriage to Ron should have no more such issues of the past troubles. Those past troubles had allowed them to learn and grow, yes. They had that all of that now and would have it again after Ron dealt with this last sitch. She and Ron would return to that state of how they had always been and were now—that wondrous balance of who they were.

It was then that Kim realised that daylight was spreading across her room. No, it couldn't be morning already? But it was, or so the clock next to her bed stand told her.

Nervously, Kim sat up, pushing her frazzled hair back and tugged down her pyjama top. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. No, there was that feeling inside of her again and it was urging her to tip-toe downstairs to check on Ron. It was still quite early in the morn and there wasn't any possible way Ron would be awake. Surely he wasn't camping out at the base of her loft stairs?

Snatching her house coat and slipping it on, she lifted the loft door that she had closed before retiring for bed and found the bottom Ronless. Was she glad? She was nothing.

Instead her bare feet pattered, wanting to stick to the steps as she fled around the corner and then down the carpeted stairs into the ground floor living room. She sighed to herself once she spotted Ron sound asleep on the chesterfield with the sofa's blanket thrown on top of him.

Kim stepped close and knelt next to him. Rufus was curled by Ron's chin and his face was on its side, his mouth parted and his head hung slightly back buried into the pillow. His glasses were folded neatly in front of the telephone on the chesterfield's side table. Kim smiled to herself and picked up his hanging hand to tuck it underneath the sheet.

_See? You can sleep without me, silly._

But her teasing only went one way and did not console herself. Her expression changing, she frowned and decided to fix herself a cup of tea to calm her nerves. She had thought that after checking on Ron, she would calm down. On the contrary, the buzzing within never left.

_Because the sitch hasn't been solved yet, that's what._ She grumbled. _Ron was coughing up _blood_! This is getting serious, I _have_ to do something quickly before it gets even _worse_ but what? _What_?! He could… _blood_… he was so close to… so close and so damaged… I can't— _

"Mom!"

Kim was shaken to see her Mother in the kitchen at this hour. Looking up from her laptop, her Mother appeared equally surprised to see _Kim_. Still, this didn't perturb Kim enough to return to bed. She continued on her way to the cabinets to make herself that early morning cup of tea for her nerves' sake.

"I wasn't expecting to see you down here so early," her Mother commented the exact thoughts Kim had been sharing about her. "Is something wrong?"

Preparing the kettle, Kim gave a lifeless shrug. "I woke up and couldn't get to sleep. Unlike Ron, some of us can't sleep at the drop of a hat." Although Kim's focus was on the kettle and her tea, she had the sensation that her Mother was watching her acutely.

_I was always suspicious that Moms were telepathic._

"Is there something going on between you and Ron?"

_Aha. I was right all along. _Now _this_ direct question _did_ startle Kim.

"What in the world makes you think that?" she frowned.

"Well," her Mother began to explain, "When I came down the stairs, I noticed Ron sleeping on the sofa in the den. I thought he would have been sleeping with you." There was a moments of pause but Kim could tell her Mother wasn't yet done talking. "Are you just doing this to try and 'calm' your Father and myself? We've let the two of you share a bed countless time before and you weren't even engaged back then."

"Oh, no," Kim laughed nervously, picking up a cup. "No, don't worry. It's not that at all."

"Then there must be some trouble," her Mother murmured quietly.

Kim faltered. _Wow, I totally fell into _that_ one, now didn't I?_

"You don't have to talk about it, Kimmie," her Mother continued when Kim did not respond. "I only thought you may like someone to listen to you. I'm not sure if you have much of that at the University other than Ron."

"I don't," Kim found herself agreeing with her Mother. "Not that that bothers me. Because…" Kim gingerly poured her cup full of steaming warm tea. "Because Ron is all that I need, it's just…"

" 'What if he's the problem'?" her Mother finished.

"Yea, that," Kim joined her Mother at the Breakfast table and took a slow, cautious sip of the tea. It felt consoling to swallow the sweet, warm liquid.

Kim contemplated a thought. "Ok…I have this 'friend'… Ok, yea, it's Ron," she gave in when her Mother lifted one single eyebrow. "Ron…" she took in a deep breath.

She had never told anyone about Ron's eating disorder before and hadn't Ron, way back, long ago, told her _never_ to tell anyone? Wade had found out on his own super-genius power but this… this would be breaking Ron's promise. Could she do that? Was it okay to break a promise no matter what, even if it was at the friend's health risk?

_Even to the degree that he was bringing up blood?_ Kim stared down into the pool of tea and watched her reflection swim vaguely beneath her.

"Did he make you promise not to tell?"

"Ah," again, her Mother had this knack for startling Kim (and for being right…).

"You know, Kimmie," her Mother spoke calmly.

Nervously awaiting her Mother's upcoming speech, Kim shifted herself nervously and cast a wary glance behind her and into the living room where Ron slept.

"I always taught you when you were little to keep secrets and it makes me happy to see that you still honour that as you've gotten older."

Kim flushed.

"But I also taught you that there is also a time when it is _okay_ to break a promise." Kim gave her Mother a pitiful, almost _pleading_ look to be granted this permission to spill her worries. Mrs Possible met her daughter's eyes and held them mercilessly. "If the promise is hurting Ron, or anyone around him, then it's a promise that is okay to break."

Guiltily, Kim hung her head. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke, not just because Ron was asleep in the next room but because even with her Mother's comfort (and Kim knew her Mother was right) it still felt so treacherous… so _taboo_ to ever say it aloud.

"Ron has… he's… bulimic."

There was a brief pause of silence before Mrs Possible finally nodded her head.

"Mm," she acknowledged knowingly. "I was always curious, but never said anything. It makes sense. Poor boy… He must be so confused…"

Kim gritted her teeth, frozen. "You… you _knew_?! _How_ is it that _everyone_ in the whole world finds it obvious but me?! I bet Drakken knows! I bet Mr _Barkin_ knows! I bet that guy in _Sweden_ knows! Everyone but me!" Kim fought to keep her voice no louder than a whisper. "I found out by accident when I went through—when I saw his medicine and looked up what it was for online!" Then she appealed more desperately, "How is it that you know? Did he tell you?"

Kim's Mother smiled complacently towards her daughter. "No, I didn't know for _certain_ but I had my suspicions. You see, his Mother is bulimic—"

"He told me," Kim murmured.

"Yes, it was something she would confide in me."

"How long ago did she first tell you?"

"Oh, goodness, this was years ago. When you and Ron were very little. I remember a few years ago, walking down the hallway and hearing some coughing coming from the bathroom, I turned curiously and then after a pause, Ron came out looking disorientated. He appeared embarrassed when he saw me but shook it off, popping a mint into his mouth before rejoining with you downstairs. It was then that I became suspicious after already knowing about his Mother. Did Ron say when he started it? He had to have picked it up from her."

"Middle teens," Kim replied softly, shrugging. "He did, Ron told me that too. He would see her when he was younger all the time and knew it was the solution for his," Kim gave a course laugh, " 'Bueno Nacho Lovings'. Mom, it's been a year since he revealed that I knew his 'secret' and promised to let me help him but…"

And then Kim felt herself unravel, for all the times she had to be strong and wish that to-morrow would be a better day for his illness. Depleted from staying strong all those times, Kim appealed desperately, "But nothing's working! At times he does better but always… always… he just… I don't understand, Mom…" Kim gripped her hair with her hand and hung her head over the table. "Why is this so hard? I want this over with before we're married."

"Sweetie, it's not as easy as it sounds for Ron. It's not as easy as just… telling yourself to wear the yellow shirt instead of the green one from now on. If it's been this many years, than it must be a strong addiction for him."

"I don't get it," Kim snorted, incredulous, "Then just _stop_. And do other things!"

"Kimmie, the addiction is not just physical, but mental as well."

"But all the reasons for him to do it are not an issue for us anymore!"

"I'm trying to make you understand," her Mother responded, leaning forwards. "Even so, it's become a habit for him over the years. It's like it's been engraved into his understanding—"

"But he has _me_. A-and those pills from his Mother! I can't believe she knows and this is the only way she helps him…"

"It's the only way she understands to help him, as she does for herself," Mrs Possible explained. "She _does_ care about him—"

"Even if she calls him an 'accident'?" Kim spat back harshly. "I'm the only one who cares for him. Who loves him."

"I know it's hard for you to grasp, Kimmie," Kim lifted her head to her Mother. "I can see that you love Ron very dearly. You protect him so fiercely," she laughed lightly, enticing a smile onto Kim's face. "Even when the two of you were little. You protected him like a mother bear. It was so plain for anyone to see that 'he was yours'. You never allowed anyone to come near him who meant him any harm or whom you found suspicious. None of this has changed."

Intensely, Kim blushed and cast her head towards.

"But there are other people who care for him as well, but show their love for him differently than you do."

Kim kept her head down, her eyes flickering with doubt at that sentence. "Then why don't the pills work?" Kim mumbled.

"I imagine either because he's not taking them as prescribed or because his mind has already reached such a critical level that his own subconscious over-powers the effects of the pills." Mrs Possible attempted another smile to enlighten Kim's mood, "You and I both know Ron frets easily."

"Yea, he's a total Drama Queen like that. But he's not, like, depressed or obsessing about his weight or anything like that."

"He doesn't have to be anymore, as I told you. Can you imagine eating a whole ton and then feeling intensely guilty about it? So much that it's constantly on your mind until your purge no matter _what_ you try to do to distract yourself? That's what it would be like for him, only when he expects relief from the purge, he probably feels even more guilty than before."

Kim's Mother tapped her chin in thought. "For you, say you found a style of sweater you loved and it came in blue and pink but you weren't sure which colour would match your shirts at home. So you buy the pink one and bring it home. It doesn't match as you thought it did, then you fret about the blue one constantly, they were only a few left after all, until you go back to the store and buy the blue one only to feel guilty that you spent double the money afterwards."

Well, if she put it like that…

Kim's eyes darted around the surface of the table with no direction. Should Kim tell her Mother about Ron's recent blood-coughing? Her Mother _was_ a doctor, but then she might force Ron away from her to take him into the hospital and… Kim cast a look behind her and barely saw the top of Ron's head on the chesterfield. And he looked too peaceful to disturb.

"What should I do?" she asked softly. "What can I do?"

Reaching out, Kim instantly felt a wave of apprehension as her Mother placed a hand on top of her own. Shuddering, Kim looked up into her Mother's eyes that stared into Kim's own. Her Mother wouldn't let her go now, and Kim knew what her Mother had to say next would be something Kim needed… and didn't want… to hear.

"You love Ron so much, and you have the best of intentions for him. But, Kimmie, there are… some things one can not do alone." There was a pause. "There are places to help him. Places than know and can do things that you cannot. Sometimes, help has to come from somewhere else to truly apply to a person. Although no-one doubts the determination you have for him. _This_ is how you can help him."

As she expected she would be, Kim found herself speechless, staring at her Mother. Slipping her hand off her daughters, Mrs Possible packed up the laptop and placed her cup of coffee soundlessly into the sink.

"It's time I headed to the hospital," she told Kim quietly from the doorframe. Kim felt the bags under her eyes as she watched her Mother leave the kitchen treading softly across the carpet and up the stairs.

Kim was now left alone with these thoughts, these thoughts she had been so defiant to stay away from. But her Mother always had this ability to reveal to Kim the path she had boarded up in a new light or at least a more understanding light.

Gazing down at her reflection within the tea cup, Kim watched as her own breathing caused ripples distorting her own image along with the placid surface of the tea.

She hoped there was nothing symbolic in that.


	5. Red Fish & A Shadow: Missions Series III

I live! It's been a long time and I can only say I'm _sorry_. It's been so long to really say anything else but that. I _do_ intend to finish this, I can't let myself not finish this before moving onto other things. (And Family Channel not airing the rest of KP hasn't help, I can add that. Feel free to email them and harrass because I'm sure they're sick of me8D!) But honestly, I'm in the last stretch of this story and I'm not going to let it- or you guys down. Well those of you who still care. And to those of you who did, _thank-you_. Thank-you so much to my reviewers, past and present, even to those who contacted me through dA proving they still cared.

It will _not_ take this long for the next update. But to satisfy for the long wait, there's a mix of things in this- for those of you who don't care for certain parts, feel free to skip to where there's dialogue. 51 pages for this, take your time and enjoy!

To my past reviewers: Ace Ian Combat, Classic Cowboy, Ultimate Naco Topping, zero9q9, Rachel J. Lupin, John M. Steppenwolf, loser7, Kipcha (yay fellow Canadian!), Pojko, Bear, moon maiden of time, Chase-your-dreams, One Night and One More Time, Danny-171984, Neptune Fairy, readtome, The Brunette Bookworm, Trilobitemk7, Shadowlost, puppybear and those who contacted me via deviantART.

_Thank-you._

-A. King

* * *

¤ Instalment 05 »» _A Little Red Fish & A Large Black Shadow -Missions Series III- _¤

Sometime everyone goes on a trip,

And that day will surely come.

As much as we can throw everything out,

The tale of two people,

That begins here

Is filled with anxiety and hope.

- ayumi hamasaki, '_Depend on you_'

* * *

Springing the news on Ron's parents had been far easier than Kim had been anxiously anticipating. Kim had kept reviewing Mrs Stoppable's many possible reactions and even responses within the confines of her imagination.

Would she be angry with her son? Would she possibly say something against Kim in front of her face? Would she… would she even refuse to accept Kim's engagement to her son? Within Kim's mind, she recalled all the quiet observations of the few times she had been in Ron's Mother's presence and came to many conclusions. She never said anything against Kim in the past, mostly she seemed oblivious to her presence whenever Kim was with Ron or the talk between them was polite and few. Ron's Father on the other hand as Kim had surmised, was a pleasant enough fellow who would probably have no quarrel with the engagement. But how would Ron's Mother react..?

Well all that fretting and smart calculations ended up being for naught. When Ron had managed to bring both of his parents from their upstairs studies to present them with the news, their responses were pretty much like Kim's own parents'!

Mr Stoppable broke out into cheerful enough congratulations and shook both of their hands. Mrs Stoppable, although not smiling yet, gave off an air of approval. While Mr Stoppable had been talking to Kim, from the corner of her eyes, however, she noticed Mrs Stoppable take her son aside to speak with him in private on the other side of the room.

_Mm, suspicious. _Kim had attempted to filter Ron's Father's talk through her ears to perhaps eavesdrop on Ron and his Mother's conversation, but it seemed Kim was just not as skilful at eavesdropping as Ron was.

At first Mrs Possible spoke to Ron, he nodded, was smiling—then looked shocked! What had she said? He double-blinked in a stand-still. His Mother too stopped speaking— she was waiting for a response from her son. Then… Ron laughed! And spoke rapidly to his Mother, enthusiastically at that! Then... no… yes!? She smiled then... wait! She laughed too! They were laughing together, Ron and Mrs Stoppable. They spoke, smiling and laughing and then… she embraced her son and Ron appeared to glow.

_Wot?!_ Kim thought, cheeks puffed in confusion. Alas. It seems she would never understand the complex relationship between Ron and his Mother. Perhaps Mrs Possible had been right in one way, perhaps there was something else in their relationship that Kim could not seem to see.

Whatever it was, Kim was just relieved that the event had not been a disastrous one.

At the present time, such an event was far from her mind. It was now one week since her visit to her parents and Kim had been busy. Not that Ron knew, but he would soon.

As Kim hung out with Jessica, Marcella and two of the girls' friends in front of the sorority's house in the early morning, she still couldn't help but feel guilty. Or a eerie feeling of maybe being _spied_ on. Constantly, she would stealthily sweep her eyes to her bedroom's window to see if perhaps it was Ron's turn to spy on her, but no. He would still be asleep as was how Kim left him. Ron had been completely unaware of Kim's underhand business and she was fiercely determined to keep Ron oblivious until… well, until—

"Maiiiiilmaaaan" one of Jessica's friends sang out and waved down the approaching mailman.

He was a young man and the only reason Jessica & Marcella's friends had followed them and Kim outside to wait his approach.

"Hey, girls," the mailman grinned with a knowing smile. Kim was too nervous to even roll her eyes at the tactless flirting.

"How's it going at the post office lately?" one of the girls asked.

"Nice line," the other one muttered to her and then spoke again to the handsome mailman: "Find any nice packages lately? Because I've got a nice big one waiting for you in my room."

"Oh please," Jessica laughed.

_Now_ Kim was able to roll her eyes accompanied by an embarrassing smile. "I don't know them."

"Forget it," the first girl who spoke said. Her tone was aggravated, "I can't think of any more postal pick-up lines. Do you wanna go to next week's party with me or not?"

"Here?"

"What other party?" Kim asked dryly.

"He should come with _me_," Jessica's other friend replied haughtily.

"Well?" the other tossed her hair over her shoulder and flashed the mailman another appeasing smile. "Which one?"

"Don't pick either of them!" Jessica rolled her eyes too, hands on hip. "Every morning…"

"Actually…" the mailman looked a little apprehensive but when the two friend's of Jessica stared sternly at him, he swallowed hard and… his eyes darted to Marcella. "If she'd invite, me, I'd love to go with _you_."

Marcella who had remained silent all morning froze from the textbook she had been holding. Cautiously, she lifted her head and stared hard at the mailman. "A-are you talking to me?!"

"Of course not!" the other friend flashed dangerously.

"I am," the mailman grinned. From his post-sack, he pulled out a series of envelopes and shoved them into Kim's hands haphazardly. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Uhuhuhuhuh…"

"Go!" Jessica grinned, pushing her friend in the bag forwards. Then she snaked her other hand in front of Marcella from behind to snag her textbook.

Still flushing and flustered, Marcella stumbled forwards, the mailman taking her hand and the two walked away down the street.

The four remaining girls stared, all of them only able to blink in reaction of what had just happened. The only one with a smug grin on her face was Jessica, a hand applied to her hip, the other tightly snuggling Marcella's textbook. It was Kim along with Friend One and Friend Two who were rendered speechless.

"If only love were that easy," Kim finally spoke sarcastically.

The two friends stamped their feet in unison and stormed back into the sorority, flaming remarks already beginning from their incredulous mouths. Still holding the mass of envelopes pressed to her stomach, Kim turned her head to Jessica.

"Did you know that was going to happen?"

"No," Jessica's fair blonde hair lightly drooped over one eye. "But she deserves it," and she sighed romantically. "Marcella's been working so hard on her medical classes that she hasn't even noticed the boys trying to please her." Jessica shrugged, "She needs a slight push and you just watch," she pointed to the distant dots of Marcella and the mailman down the street. "She's walking forward on her own already."

_Ah,_ Kim thought,_ my friends have the odd talent of speaking advice I need to hear about totally tangent subjects._

"So did you get the letter you've been waiting for?"

"Oh! I, um, well, let's see…" Kim mumbled continuing to try and grasp all of the Sorority's envelopes.

Jessica stepped forwards and helped to hold some of the letters before a few could slip from Kim's clasp and flutter to the concrete. Together, they sorted through the mail, stuffing unknown addressees back into the mailbox and plucking out those for themselves and for their friends they would meet up with.

And then Kim found it.

Sucking on her lower lip, she held the remaining envelope in her hand, the one with her name on it and her sorority's address. Her eyes darted to the return address and, yes, this was it.

"Is that it?" Jessica asked, curious.

Kim took in a deep breath. Now things would begin.

"Yes, I'll catch up with you later, gotta head back. Thanks!"

"Oh, uh, you're welcome! Bye, Kim!!"

Kim fled back into the house and crashed violently into Bonnie Rockwaller just as Kim was passing the lounge. Kim hit her at such a full force that both girls were sent to the floor like opposing magnets. Kim groaned, clutching her banged forehead as she sat herself up.

"_Watch where you're _GOING!" Bonnie screeched as she sat up, struggling to adjust her ridiculously short miniskirt. "Clumsy slut!"

But Kim took no notice of the usual words in Bonnie's arsenal and instead searched for the letter that was no longer in her hands. A hideous gasp escaped Kim's mouth when she spotted the letter resting upon Bonnie's lap. Quickly, Kim snatched out for the envelope, but Bonnie was closer (apparently) and clutched it first.

"What's this?" she asked, her voice taunting. "An embarrassing letter from home? Or a love letter from an affair? Let's see…"

"That is NOT yours. If you open that, that's _illegal_ and don't hesitate to think I'll sue your fat rear," Kim spat, her hands out in front of her and her hair a mad mess.

Bonnie froze, looking down at Kim through her nose and regarded her carefully. Obviously, she was weighing Kim's threat as serious. But then her eyes darted down and she need only to read the return address when her mouth fell open. Her normally slit eyes widened fully and she lifted her head to face a dangerous Kim.

"Oh. My. Goodness." Bonnie again read the header of the return address before Kim flashed out, retrieving the envelope. But it was too late, she couldn't erase Bonnie's memory.

_Well, I could if I smashed her head into the corner of that desk there…_ The thought was a tempting one.

"So _that's_ how you've been able to stay on the squad and retain your figure! I _knew_, I _KNEW_ you weren't natural!" she sang cruelly. "I knew you had some secret! I _knew_ you weren't perfect! HA! Wait until _everyone_ hears about this and shame will befall you! Lonnie will kick you off the squad for _sure_. I mean," Bonnie clasped both of her hands beneath her cheek and displayed a mockingly-sweet voice, "You might pass out during a cheer and hurt yourself!" Then she fluttered her fake lashes and cackled maliciously. "This is _too_ sweet! Finally going to get some help, huh?" she sneered.

"Shut-up!" Kim hissed, then blurted: "It's not for me, it's for—" And she caught herself.

Bonnie froze again, her hands dropping onto her lap as the gears cranked through her head.

"Ohmigosh," she said for the second time. "It's _not_ you? I-it's _him?!_" Then she cupped her mouth as the laughter flowed out and she fell backwards onto the floor again.

"This is none of your business! You... I just… The immature in you, Bonnie, has no bounds!"

"Please!" Bonnie gasped, casting an arm over her forehead. "It's not _immature._" Then she hauled herself up and blinked in all honesty at Kim, "It's 'telling the people the truth'. Don't you read the tabs?"

"Uh, _no_. Bonnie, look, this is serious. You can _not_ just go telling everyone. You keep flaunting your wallet so why don't you use some of that cash and buy some empathy?" Kim's voice never once softened.

While the cruelly smirk across Bonnie's face never left.

"Oh, Kim Possible. You are going to _regret_ joining the squad. You're going to regret having that loser follow you around on the team in High School, ruining our rep. He is going to regret not winning us that Regionals trophy back in Grade Twelve."

"That was a low blow. You know he was in a _coma_."

"Whatever," Bonnie's palm flew up, denying Kim. "This is rich. But not rich enough. I'm going to have to spice it up a bit," and she tapped her chin in mock thought while lightly shaking some brown hair from her face.

Kim's eyes instantly narrowed. She didn't dare ask what Bonnie was talking about. She knew Bonnie would spill.

"So he's going to Tri-City's Anorexia and Bulimic Restoration Home, is he?" Bonnie's blue eyes flashed with enlightenment. "That's usually a _girl_ thing, isn't it?" she again tapped her forehead, her head cast away from Kim in that continued mock thought while her eyes still rested on Kim. "It'll make it more believable if I might just have to add that he's also ga—"

Bonine never finished her sentence for it was at that moment that Kim flew at Bonnie, smacking her across the face. Bonnie let out a horrified screech and started smacking Kim back while trying to push herself away.

"You just KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT," Kim screamed while Bonnie never stopped screaming bloody-murderer at the top of her lungs.

"SHE'S KILLING ME. THAT DERRANGED POSSIBLE IS MURDERING ME."

Somehow, that very sentence Bonnie screamed floated up throughout the sorority and into Kim's very own room where Ron Stoppable himself was sleeping in her bed. The screams of the two girl's catfight broke through Ron's dreams and he woke with a start, scaring Rufus awake on his king-sized dog bed next to him on the floor.

Surely those screams had been in his dreams? He wondered this and panted with confusion. Then he heard screaming coming from downstairs and… and he couldn't make it out but… the screams… _were Kim's_!

"…_she's going to murder me and she's going to ruin my face and give me blackheads with her dirty hands!!..._" came a light voice from downstairs through all the screams.

Ron's eyes flew open and he tore from the bed's sheets and yanked the door open, the handle smashing into the wall. Rufus snapped up too, alert, and scampered after Ron with all the vigour of a young mole-rat in his prime.

Rufus was right on Ron's heels as Ron stumbled down the staircase, almost falling flat on his head. A few girls he careened into at the base of the stairs gave nervous screams and squeals. In his undershirt and pyjama bottoms, Ron froze as his eyes laid upon the two girls smacking one another, pulling their hair, giving arm burns and screaming in the middle of the lounge. He couldn't believe it. Neither could all of the sorority girls that came to also hear what the commotion was about.

Kim and Bonnie were having a violent catfight.

"I always knew one of them would kill the other but I always imagined something a little more dramatic," said a girl next to Ron.

His brows narrowed then his bare feet tore across the hard-wood floors as he bent down, bowling into Kim, knocking her back and away from Bonnie who still squealed even as the girls parted.

"That WHORE," Kim spat, her hands splayed across Ron's back as he restrained her, pushing her to the opposite side of the room.

"My face!" Bonnie cried, "It's going to be all _red_!! I have a _date_ to-night!!"

"She was saying nasty things!" Kim continued to flare, her fingernails now digging into Ron's back; he winced.

"K-Kim, calm_ down_!" he urged, trying to take some sort of authority over Kim. Yet he was still rather nervous should Kim decide to pick him up and chuck him aside (which he knew very well she was capable of such a feat.)

But thankfully, the digging of Kim's nails into Ron's back lightened and instead, she clutched onto his undershirt, her head poking out over Ron's shoulder. She glared at Bonnie.

"She… She wouldn't shut up! She was going to tell everyone!" Kim's voice was no longer hysterical. She had caught hold of herself quickly and leaned her head against Ron's to seek comfort from him. Ron could barely see Kim from the corner of his eyes, but he was able to glimpse tears forming in hers.

"Hey, Kim, it's okay, they're just words," and he rubbed her back, soothing her as she often did for him. As he did so, Kim again cast her head against his, closing her eyes and soaking in his comfort.

And Bonnie saw this, her eyes narrowing. "And I still will!" she announced fiercely. Her heads swivelled wildly to take in the count of all the girls gathered and stuck out her chin proudly. Thrusting a finger at Ron who had his back turned to her, Bonnie declared in a loud voice:

"_He's_ got an eating disorder!" Then she cackled maliciously, "No wonder he spends all his time in the _sorority_! I think we all know what _that_ means! Staying here because of Kim was a _cover_! It seems Ron Stoppable relates more to girls than to boys!"

Ron did not move and his body become rigid. Kim too stopped fidgeting and waited for Ron's response, it seemed to take forever for him to react and every second that passed by, Kim's heart did ten beats inside her own throat. Her head felt dizzy and she swallowed, feeling sick inside.

Then she was instantly released from Ron's hold as he turned and fled, pushing past some bewildered girls, and out of the sorority. Kim recovered quickly. Sending Bonnie one final death-glare, Kim pushed herself to her feet, snatched the envelope on the floor then fled after Ron.

Kim had been so enrapt on Ron's reaction that she hadn't even noticed Bonnie was the only one laughing.

Kim briefly thanked herself for being so rapid in reacting to Ron's flight for he was already on his motorbike and headed out of the parking lot. Growling to herself, Kim leapt into the air, clasped the nearest lamp post then used this to catapult herself into the air and land right behind Ron on his bike.

The motorbike swerved and wobbled before Ron was able to firm his grip and continue down the road.

"What are you _doing_?" he asked her, his voice sounding more accusatory than baffled.

"Being your _friend_," she retorted and snug her arms around his waist as not to fall off.

She thought she heard a snort from Ron. "Then you better wear your helmet because I draw the line at going to prison for that fine."

Kim hoped Ron heard her laughter through his helmet _and_ attitude.

As they continued to drive, Kim allowing Ron to lead her blindly to some unknown destination, Kim desperately thought of things to say once it was time for the upcoming conversation.

It took Kim awhile before she began to recognise the scenery and knew Ron must be leading her to the Tri-City mall, or at least that general area. Kim had never explored the Tri-city scenery during her limited University time other than when she had spied on Ron. The fact that there was more to explore in an area so close to home, caused Kim to wonder other things, like, perhaps… where would she and Ron go after University? Once they were married and it was time to find a place on their own.

Kim always imagined herself living at home, and with her parents (even, yes, her Tweebs brothers) and Ron dropping by to stay nearly the whole day. But soon things would change, as they had already done.

_We're already in a new stage of our lives_, Kim was able to admit to herself. _And before I know it, this one will change too. _

It was something to think on.

But for now, Ron came to a stop and when Kim pulled off her helmet to look up, she shouldn't have been too surprised to find herself at a Bueno Nacho next to the Tri-City mall.

"H-hey wait up!" she called in surprise as Ron didn't even speak nor waited for her. He was off and already inside the restaurant. Jogging up to the building and pushing the double doors aside, she stood next to him in the line.

"Ron…"

"Later."

Kim's eyes narrowed, but it was more out of nervousness than anger. "Okay."

So with Ron still in his pyjamas and Kim in her cheerleading sweats, they ordered themselves a meal each and only when Ron finally had his naco meal in front of him and was tearing off the wrapping over the straw did Kim attempt speech again. But not before evaluating his meal. It was a substantial size: normal.

"Look, Ron," Kim began, already unfolding her fajita. "You didn't need to run out back there. And what more, you should've waited for me. I didn't really appreciate that." She kept her voice cool, but allowed Ron to know that it was something that seriously nettled her.

Ron scowled, looking down. Rufus popped out of who-knew where at the smell of food and squealed in utter delight over the Bueno Nacho meal before him.

"Bueno Nacho!" the mole-rat cried and dove into the nachos; completely oblivious to his owner's down-time attitude.

"Ron," Kim provoked him again, "Don't get all broody on me. It's not _me_ you're upset at."

"Yes it is!"

"_What?_"

Ron placed his naco down and glared at Kim. (To Kim, his glare was never something she took serious, although she should learn to do so at times like these.)

"You _promised_," he cried. But then he eyed his surroundings nervously and lowered his voice, hunching down— his shoulder blades sliding up. "You _promised_ me you wouldn't tell anyone about my you-know-what and then I find that you went and told _Bonnie_ of all people?! Like… what kind of friend _are_ you, KP? What kind of… marriage-person are you?"

Kim's jaw dropped. " 'Marriage-person'. You mean you're '_fee-an-say'?_" Ron wasn't given a chance to respond, Kim was far from done. "And I can _not_ believe that you, Ron, _you_ would ever _think_ I would tell Bonnie about that! Tell Bonnie _anything_ other than what a complete tramp she is! Ron. Look at me, Ron."

Ron's eyes had been cast out the windows stormily as he crunched on his food. But they meandered back to Kim, whether out of curiosity or submission, neither were sure.

Her voice dropped the incredulous tone and became that of a whisper along with infliction: "Ron, I can't believe you'd believe I'd betray you like that—" and then she stopped herself: bad choice of words, regarding the letter in her pocket. "Ron—do you honestly believe I told Bonnie that? Really?" And this time she was asking Ron a serious question.

His eyes flickered and Ron realised how hastened he had reacted. "Nah. Sorry about that."

"Why do you think I was so upset?" She continued, and then she invoked a laugh to lift Ron's mood, "Why do you think I was about to tear Bonnie to shreds if you hadn't had stepped in," and then she grinned wider and closed her eyes, "My knight in shining armour?"

This time Ron laughed and that threat of an argument disappeared. "Yea, I was pretty manly back there, wasn't I?"

"Oh yes," Kim continued, "I'm sure all the girls were absolutely stunned by your manliness aurora alone. I know it was very difficult to keep myself from carrying on with you right there."

Ron's grin grew smug and he sat several inches taller. "You're so darn lucky I didn't turn it on full blast or WHAM all the girls woulda been on me in seconds!"

Kim could no longer keep a straight face and the laughter slipped free. "Everyone but Bonnie!"

"Ew, no way. My manliness shuns her. Besides she doesn't have anyhing compared to my very own Kimbolina."

Now Kim snorted in surprise and laughed some more. "Wow, you win for best compliment ever!"

"And I got tons more stacked where that came from if you care to find it," he winked at her playfully.

Kim burst full force into laughter and was forced to hide her face in her arms upon the table as she continued to giggle. "That's just so lame, Ron!" She brought up her head to breathe again and laid her head against her folded arms. "But so hot."

Ron allowed a few laughs to himself before returning to the consumption of his naco.

They spent the rest of their meals with Kim in a giggle fit, her diaphragm in too much of an attack to digest any food what with all the faces Ron was giving her. And as Kim laughed and played their game of bantering one another, she was thankful for this moment in which they were allowed to be _themselves_: best friend and lovers. For there was a small foreboding feeling deep within Kim that told her what she had to do after this meal would drastically change Ron's mood.

But before Kim could even bring it up, as Ron watched Kim eat silently (she had hardly been able to eat with all the laughing she had done and had to catch up) that Ron changed this light-hearted mood.

"How did Bonnie know about it anyway?"

Kim stopped in mid-chew, a piece of lettuce sticking out of her mouth. She blinked several times, staring at Ron studying her calmly with his arms folded and leaning back. He repeated himself.

Shoving in the lettuce and finishing chewing, Kim had only seconds to thick of what to say. It was after she laid what little of her fajita down and patted off her hands did she decide on the truth. After all, she'd have to bring it up soon regardless…

"Um," she started, already a bad place to begin. "Well..." The 'truth' had this uncanny ability to become caught-up in her throat only allowing small words and syllables to be released from her mouth. It was quite awkward.

"I mean," Ron went on, "You didn't _tell_ Bonnie—"

"I didn't! Honest!"

"Soooo?"

Kim shrugged evasively, but again she repeated to herself there was no way to worm her way out of this one. She cast her head aside, allowing some of her low-hanging hair to hide some of her face.

"She saw an envelope I had."

Ron double-blinked, truly confused. "Envelope? What envelope?"

Kim's eyes turned downward, "An envelope I got in the mail."

Ron's eyebrows rose loftily. "Oh yea? Now what kinda envelope might that be, Kimbo? Do tell."

"So I will," she half snorted back. It was then that she swiftly pulled the envelope from her pocket and tossed it lightly onto the table, facing Ron.

Looking down, with Rufus running up onto his shoulder to peer along with Ron, they gazed quizzically at the envelope.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

Kim did not respond as she watched Ron pick it up gingerly to read the address. As he read the return address as Bonnie had done, Kim caught his lips moving as he murmured the name silently. Rufus shifted anxiously on Ron's shoulder, glancing from Ron to the envelope. Could Rufus read? Kim wondered.

"Open it," Kim prodded.

Ron's eyes abruptly leapt to Kim then slowly resided back on the envelope. Rufus chattered something quietly into Ron's ear, Ron nodded and he then flipped the envelope over and began to slowly tear it open… Kim sucked on her breath.

A pamphlet fell out.

"W-what is this?"

Just as cautiously as Ron had picked up the envelope, Ron lifted up the pamphlet and began to slowly open it up, unfolding and unfolding…

Within the pamphlet were photographs and paragraphs all about this Home for treating Ron's illness. There were photos of the residence, of the discussion rooms, of past people being treated in the group therapy (and they were all _girls_!) and of the rooms they would live in. Ron squinted as he noticed how small the bedrooms were and Rufus pointed out with a squeal, the bars over the windows… just like a prison.

Briefly, Ron scanned all of the paragraphs, hardly reading anything and yet understanding fully what all of this meant.

"You're sending me away," Ron stated.

Instantly Kim was hurt. "No, Ron. That's not why—"

"You are." Ron furrowed his brow as he continued to gaze at the photos on the folded out pamphlet. The more he saw, the more words and sentences he picked up, the more anxious he became. "You're sending me away!"

Kim closed her eyes and prayed silently. When she opened them, Ron was still not looking at her. They continued to be fixated on the photos and paragraphs explaining his new 'home'.

"Ron, don't you get?" Kim leaned forwards and pointed at one of the images of the inside lobby. "This is a good thing!"

This time Ron shot up at her and stared at her with the most bewildered expression ever, Rufus too.

"It _is!_" Kim insisted. Before Ron could explode with panic, Kim continued. "Look, we want to get married, right? But won't it be great that when we do, we can leave all this bad stuff behind? That way we can just continue to go forwards with ourselves and never have to look back at stuff like this. We won't have to deal with it anymore!"

"But…" Ron spluttered, his eyes constantly manoeuvring all across the pages. "I… I'm staying here?"

"Well… yea…"

"No! This is what you were talking about right, Kim?"

"What?"

Ron dropped the spread out pamphlet onto the table and looked at her with insistent and determined eyes.

"Long time ago when you first told me about this in my room when you found my tin," (Kim flinched), "You said that they can put people into homes for stuff like this! This is what this is, isn't it?"

Again Kim flinched, but this time out of sincere concern for her Ron. "Yes, Ron," she murmured. "Because… we… we weren't getting anywhere. I needed help."

"You?!"

"Yes, me!" Kim shot back. "I _love_ you, Ron—don't look away from me when I say that! You know it's true, don't act like I don't. But there isn't anything I can do about this anymore. I… I tried." She gave a small, course laugh. " 'I can do anything'. Remember how you said once? 'Including fail'?"

Ron seemed to tune out on that. "You can't do this to me, you don't have any sorta rulement over me!"

"Yea!" Rufus shot in.

Kim looked down again, her voice spoke with a touch of irritation. "But your Mom does."

Ron blinked stupidly.

"You talked to my _Mom_ about this?"

"Yes. She already knew."

"I _know_ that," Ron replied, a little too aggressively. "You don't have no right to be talking about this to my Mom behind my back! That's just, just… like, just _wrong_. Wrong and… Treason!"

" '_Treason_'?!"

"Sure. Yea," Ron shrugged. "Treason, that's right. So she approved, you joking?"

"I talked with her."

"What'd you say?"

"About how I was, uh, gee, '_concerned'_ for you?" Kim flopped back and glared at Ron. Honestly, she was more frustrated with herself than with Ron for not laying this confrontation out as smoothly as she could have.

"Look, I _knew_ you weren't going to be happy about this, Ron. But you could at least understand it."

"That's just it," Ron replied, his tone monotonous. "I _don't _understand how my best friend and _fiancé_ could do something like this to me." It was then that he calmly pushed himself from his seat and out the doors.

Panicking, Kim whirled around and watched Ron disappear through the two clear doors. Worried that he might again make an attempt to leave her behind, Kim snatched the envelope and pamphlet then fled after him. Pushing through the double doors, she caught up with him in the parking lot. A small wave of relief washed over her when she found him leaning against his bike with his brow furrowed. At least he wasn't stranding her in his upset.

"Ron." When Ron did not, respond, Kim shifted out her chin, firm to not let this argument get between them. "You know very well inside I'm doing this because I care. Don't lie to yourself," then she added more softly, "Because it hurts me too."

Ron lifted his eyes to her. They were heavily lidded, his eyes mirroring the look of one being punched in both eyes. Kim's shoulders slump and for the first time, she completely understood _what_ he was so upset about. It had been something inside Kim's mind as well as she had been working on this for Ron in the past week, but whenever it crept up, she'd shove it back down. There had been no reason to deal with it then, this was something that _had_ to be done for their future.

But no matter what, in the end, they'd have to be separated.

"Yea, I understand that," Ron spoke softly. Kim came to stand next to him on the bike, her head tilted to his shoulder. "I just can't understand how you'd be okay with this."

"I'm not…"

"We won't be able to see each other anymore."

"I know."

Ron too turned his head into Kim and hid his face within her hair. He murmured, "Probably not for a real long time, you know."

"I know."

"Longer than _before_."

Kim gave a small sniffle, but it might've been from the cold. Lifting her head, she tossed her hair off to one side and looked Ron back in the eyes.

"Probably," she replied, "But… you know, they say that I can visit you, if you improve. We can look forwards to that."

Ron gave a light 'heh'. "Notice you said 'if' there, Kimbo."

A small laugh from Kim however it was by no means a laugh of entertainment. "Yea, I noticed." There was a passage of silence and then Kim could no longer contain herself: "Ron, I'm going to miss you _so_ much!" and she flung her arms around his neck, bringing him lower to embrace.

Ron did not respond right away, but when Kim moved closer to hug him tighter, he gently placed his arms around her in return—resting them lightly around her waist.

"Maybe… maybe this wouldn't be so hard on us if it hadn't been for all that stuff from before," he murmured. "I bet other people don't get all upset like we do when we gotta go places all untogether."

"When before?"

"Oh, like, y'know. All that stuff last year and the year before. All that tension living and obscure occurrences of this and that that kept testing our devotion."

"Probably."

And Kim knew inside that Ron was correct, even if he had a funny way of wording it. They had gone through a whole lot of strife to be able to have the strong, mature, developed and well balanced relationships that they now had, just the idea of being apart for each of them sent terrifying visions and emotions. It always brought back memories of the year before Kim's birthday when they had spoken of their love for the other. Being apart was a horrifying experience now, a scar that could never leave either of them as the result of their battle to grow as individuals and accept a loving relationship with their best friend since forever.

"How can we do that, KP?" Ron asked finally. "I can't… Like, I know it's stupid but I can't!"

Kim parted herself from Ron and returned to resting against the motorbike. "It will only be for so long, not forever. Maybe… maybe make like a date of when you think you can be all better. Focus on that."

"I hate focusing."

Kim placed a hand upon his shoulder, "True. But keep in mind Ron, _please_. Keep in mind that once this is over with, we'll never have to part from one another _ever_ again! Come on, Ron. Prove you can do this."

"What?"

"I'd be so proud of you…"

A small smile made its way across Ron's face. "Yea, I know you would."

"And I can bring you Bueno Nacho when I can come and visit you!"

"I'd like that!"

Kim laughed, truly amused yet hiding some of her anxieties. Ron smiled back at her and touched her head with his.

"So it's not like I got no choice in this, is it?"

Kim's eyes flickered; it was answer enough for Ron. He again darted his eyes downward and he began to shake his head.

"Why are we doing this?" he seemed to ask himself and Kim rose her head to him in curiosity. "We don't wanna be separated and we can control this so why are we doing this? It doesn't make no sense to me…" he continued to mutter. "I can't do that, you can't do that, right? I can't, I know I can't…"

Again Kim could only cast her head away and close her eyes. Was this shame? She didn't want this either and yet here she was forcing it not only upon Ron, but upon herself as well. She knew Ron would suffer and she would as well.

_Remember how you suffered last time?_ A small whisper crept into Kim's mind. _I know,_ she told it, _I didn't think I'd find myself in those times again._ But what other choice was there now? It wasn't Ron's fault he was in this mess, but Kim, as Ron's friend, had to do something about it; it was time that Kim put an end to Ron's sitch once and for all. Only why did the solution have to be such an agonising one? Surely this was the only way to cure Ron if she herself could not.

It seemed not even the great Kim Possible could be the one to help her best friend.

_This _is_ the only way I can help_, as she had told herself repeatedly many times.

"Just think about after," Kim whispered aloud. "That's all we can do."

"How long?"

"I don't know."

"Months?"

"As long as it takes. In the end, it's up to you, I guess."

"Me?" Ron countered, slight hostility shining through once more, "Me? I'm not the one—"

"That wasn't a shot, Ron," Kim replied quietly, "It's just a fact."

Ron fell silent and neither looked at the other.

And then Kim discovered something amazing happening to her. No, it couldn't be? Surely not a reaction like this! It wasn't _that_ bad, since when was she expecting this?! But there it was, it was happening: tears began to surface in the depths of her eyes effecting them to water. Then there was that sniffle again. It was the cold! She told herself. It was the cold…

How could she have done such a stupid thing? If only the two of them could run away to some unknown location, and hide from the world… together.

But that was silly.

For they only needed to hide from _themselves_.

At on that note Kim felt a seizing sensation in her chest abruptly take hold of her along with a new wave of anxiety. Sharply, she turned to look up at Ron next to her. He was looking down at the cement amongst his own brooding thoughts. Panic, inexplicably unexplainable, took hold of her and she took a small step towards him.

"Ro—"

_Beep-beep beepbeep!!_

As soon as Ron turned to Kim, the Kimmunicator beeped from within her pocket. He sighed as she pulled it out to respond.

"You gotta bring that thing with you everywhere?"

Kim did not react to the remark but instead flicked on her handheld device.

"What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Hey, Kim!" Wade grinned back on the screen. "How's life going?"

"Ha!" Kim couldn't even take the laugh of irony. What a question to ask at such a time! "Please, Wade. Tell me you are _not_ just contacting me for chit-chat."

"Why is it assumed that's all I contact you for?"

"Because that's all you contact me for."

"Well, you know. Gotta shake it up once in awhile, haven't I? Ron all there?"

"Present," Ron yawned, lifting a hand into the air as if in role-call.

Wade nodded back in greetings. "You might wanna go home and suit up, Kim. I do indeed have a mission for the both of you and guess who the target is?"

"Surprise me."

"None other than Dr Drakken," and Wade winked in a final flourish.

"Well, well!" Kim crowed and Ron even leaned his neck over to look at the screen in interest. For the first time since their emotional conversation, the two exchanged non-endearing looks. "Now that really _is_ shaking it up! And when _was_ the last time since we've run into our 'old pal'?"

"Gee, I can't even remember!" Ron answered, a grin on his face now. "The summer maybe? Of last year?! WOW! What has that man been up to? Did he take leave from the whole villainy thing or something?"

"I hope that this time gap is not a foreshadowing to lead up to a plot of epic movie proportion," Kim winced, directing the question towards Wade.

"Review has come out that it is a made for TV-version," he reported. Wade clacked away at the keyboard and scrolled down on something on his computer screen before returning to the webcam.

"He's up to some activity in the Amazon. Looks, like…" Wade paused as he read something on the screen once more, a finger to his chin. He grimaced and added a frown.

"What is it, Wade?"

"Looks like he's, well, gathering Corpse Flowers."

"Whoah, wait, now back up there," Ron held up his palms hastily. "Are you telling me we're going to have to be kung-fu-ing zombie flowers?!" Then he added in an undertone to Wade as if he was trying to not let Kim hear although he certainly failed at that, "I think you of _all_ people know I'm done with my share of flower-fighting for a life time. Cough, posies, cough."

"What's all this now?" Kim asked dryly.

Wade winced and grimaced, "Sorry, Ron. But I promise you these plants are _not_ undead." Then he turned to Kim and nodded, "They're only called that because, well, they reek of corpse."

Kim faltered, her nose wrinkling. "Are Ron and I going to need nose plugs on this mission, Wade?"

"You might wanna think about that, yea."

"What in the world does Drakken want these smelly plants for, Wade?"

"It is rather redundant, isn't it?" Ron put in.

Both laughed and Wade replied, "Not too sure, but I'm willing to bet you it's a take-over the world scheme, smelly style."

"I never thought I'd say this but I feel _so_ sorry for Shego," Kim commented.

"Don't feel sorry for Shego," Ron scowled, "Feel sorry for _us_!"

Rufus poked his head from around of Ron's neck and nodded pitifully.

"So who's our ride?" Kim asked conversationally, given Ron a brief smile while leaning back on his motorbike with one hand upon the seat.

"Um," Wade fidgeted and furrowed his brow.

"Don't know yet?" Kim asked, confusion creeping into her voice.

"N-no." Wade sure did blink and twitch a lot—all while staring firmly to a screen off to the side. Ron couldn't help but double-blink and feel something along the lines of 'foreboding' enter his mind.

A baffled smile was upon Kim's face as she shrugged and exchanged a further glance with Ron. "What's up? Who is it?"

Again, Wade gave an offhand shrug, twitched, blinked repeatedly, and began shuffing through papers as if it held the most urgent of matters.

However, although his response and been a fast, low, mutter: both Kim _and_ Ron distinctly caught the person's name.

The smile on Kim's face was a frozen one.

Oh yes. Kim heard the name alright.

Ron didn't dare to breathe lest Kim rain down a wrath and fury to match a higher power's.

"_Who_ did you say?" As her expression was frozen, her voice held a sickly sweet tone— one _far_ too sweet to avoid suspicion what with the person in question.

Again, Wade shuffled between shrugging and twitching before they were 'mysteriously' and 'unexpectedly' cut off from Wade.

Ron did not move, but his eyes darted to Kim and he continued to hold onto that breath. Don't move, that was his thought, don't move or Kim might kill the first thing that does. The fact that that frozen smile had never left Kim's face didn't ease Ron in the _least_.

And that was when the shadow slipped overtop Kim and Ron. The large, and yes, Ron knew it this time, _foreboding_ shadow crept sinisterly over the two of them standing in the Bueno Nacho parking lot. It was only when the shadow rested over Kim's head for more than a minute, swallowing both Kim, Ron, the motorbike and the better area of the parking lot, did Ron spot that _one_ twitch of the eye from Kim.

Yes.

Their ride had arrived.

-ø-

It was after they had stopped off at the Sorority and changed into their mission clothes and packed their mission bags that Kim sat with her arms crossed stubbornly in the front seat slouched horridly with her hair pushed up and her lips pursed into a near pout. Ron sat in a third seat next to Kim: sitting rather daintily at that. But not to be fooled for this daintiness held a hidden alert to tend to Kim's mood—which, as Ron knew for a fact, was so precarious of unleashing her violent temper should the slightest thing provoke her.

After all, she was seated to one of her most least favourite people in the whole entire world. Yes, the _whole_ entire world. And Kim and Ron had been _all_ around the world. Countless times.

_He_ sat with his back in a perfect ninety degree angle, arched to perfection with his hands firmly on the controls that flew the three of them through the skies. He had spoken barely a few words to Kim as he had greeted Kim upon his air craft. And the silence between the two stretched on since. Ron's eyes shifted, keeping silent, as he studied the young man's small, squinty eyes that did not flicker over to Kim, but were kept diligently straight on his path—not even glancing to any controls.

Ron may not be the smartest boy in the world, this was well known, but he had an eye for observation, and in observing Will Du, Ron picked up on the fact that Will was just as uncomfortable as Kim—but in a far more _professional_ manner than she.

His black hair as per usual was slicked back. After all, he couldn't let any strand, however small, risk obscuring his vision in the slightest. Will had once told this smugly to Kim when she had been pushing back her hair after a shared fight against some henchmen.

Will Du and Kim Possible had not crossed paths in many years, but it was positive that even to this day, neither would be willing to release the years of 'friendly' rivalry between the other.

Ron sighed, accent on the exasperation. No, they were far too prideful each for such a silly notion as _that_.

But, according to Wade, Global Justice's (still) Number One Agent, Will Du, was their only ride at the time for the fastest flight to the Amazon. When the day came, Wade would not be eager to meet Kim Possible in person.

"We are one hour away from our destination," Will spoke up breaking the silence. His eyes darted sternly around his control panel. "Scanning for possible areas of landing and the only place seems to be a small clearing an hour away from Drakken's lair."

"So two hours then," Ron replied with confidence in his mathematical figuring.

"You don't need to land the hoverjet," Kim spoke for the first time other than the grunt of greeting she had first given Will. "Ron and I can use your parachutes over Drakken's lair."

Ron watched each one as they talked, his eyes now resting on Will's demeanour. "My parachutes are for emergency use only."

"And _you_ don't call saving the world an emergency?" Kim fired back. "Fat lot of good you are to the world."

"Cliché retort. Not your best."

"Durhur, lame fragmental responses as always; never your best."

Will Du only blinked staring at the sky ahead.

Ron leaned back in his seat and let out another sigh. It was impossible for these two to get along. He brushed back his bangs, allowing them to bounce back into place. At least they were content being silent with the other. Heaven forbid them from being a chatty bunch! Ron hadn't brought along his headset either. He looked over Will's control panel and came to the conclusion he had no audio system.

He heard a small grunt from Kim once again so Ron turned his attentions to her once more; she looked purely stressed.

"Kim," Ron leaned closer to her to whisper. "Just another hour, kay? It's all good."

"Not with him," Kim jerked her head at Will. "This is degrading. I don't need him to be my lift. What ever happened to Gustavo?"

Ron's eyes saddened towards Kim's aggressive attitude. "Kim, please, calm down…" But Kim was set in her stubborn attitude. "At least he ain't comin' with us…"

"Did you ever graduate High School?" Will suddenly spoke up, surprising Ron and agitating Kim.

"Huh?" Ron asked automatically.

"I just wonder by how you speak." And as he said this to Ron, he gave a crude smirk at Kim.

This rude remark caused Ron to flinch and shrink back, while it only fuelled more fire to Kim's already injured dignity.

"Hey!" she barked, "Ron can talk anyway he _likes_, Mister I-Speak-Sixty-Languages-And-Fifteen-Regional-Dialects. Who are _you_ to criticise Ron?" she sneered. "Don't you even _dare_. One more smart-ass remark from you buddy and we're flinging ourselves from your hoverjet, taking your parachutes with us and we'll walk the distance to Drakken's Lair."

If Will felt he had gone too far with his insults with his Loftier-Than-Thou attitude, he showed no sign. He only said, "Then I'll reach Drakken's Lair first."

"This is _our_ Mission! You're not coming with us!"

"I am a member of Global Justice," Will reminded them for the umpteenth time, "I'm the organisation's _Number One_ Agent. I can not let them down while I know there is a threat to this planet."

"Uh, _excuse _me?"

This time, Will looked at her. "I cannot ignore this threat to the planet. I must do what I can to stop Drakken as well." Then he added will staring into Kim's wildfire eyes, "After all, we can't solely rely on _amateurs_."

Kim let out a ferocious growl and slammed herself back into her seat now steaming with her inner rage. Oh! If only murder were a legal act! Ron was now flustered out of his mind and fluttered to her side in his best attempt to console and calm this tempest that was Kim.

He was rather leaning to the positive fact that Kim had not retorted to that for it surely would have given way to another round of arguments between Kim and her rival. For the rest of the hour that Will flew the hoverjet to the clearing, the atmosphere remained silent.

Ron would have liked to continue doing all he could to soothe Kim, like perhaps whispering to her and maybe even stroking her hair… but she was seated too far from him for that. That, and now he himself was too nervous to make any movement to draw attention to himself after Will's crude remark of the way Ron spoke.

So Ron leaned with his head facing Kim in the plush seat of the hoverjet and rested into a doze. He only awoke from his revere when he felt a sudden change—the jet was lowering in the sky and Ron realised after looking out the window that they had reached the alleged clearing.

Without even waiting for the hoverjet to land, Kim marched out of the seat, slinging her pack on. Anxiously, Ron followed her, picking up his own. Crossing her arms and refusing to look in Will's direction, Kim tapped her foot as she waited for the vessel to land. Now that the two were giving a brief amount of privacy, Ron shuffled closer to Kim and leaned down to speak by her ear.

"KP, I know you ain—you're not happy about this but don't get angry… okay? Kim? Drakken's our enemy right now."

Ron was a little worried Kim would ignore him and refuse to respond but after an unnerving silence Kim shrugged—an indication that she gave in to Ron.

"I know," she said.

"It'll only make things worse if you fight with that guy. Only give him his point that we're not as pro as he, right?"

"True."

"So we're together on this, right?"

"Right," Kim smiled faintly and Ron gave her a quick nuzzle on her cheek to spread that smile before Will approached them.

"Do you have everything?" he asked stonily.

"Yes," Kim replied shortly. "You're going to wait here then?" she asked.

Will's nose twitched. "I'm coming with you."

Kim's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth for who-knows what words to fly out but then Ron rested a hand on her shoulder and she fell back. Ah, Ron. Always there to control that temper of hers—they were a perfect balance for the other.

So Kim's eyes stayed narrowed and she suppressed that burning, flaring urge to snap at Will and tell him off. There wasn't _any_ way she wanted to partner with Will Du on a Mission _ever_ again. But then there was Ron on her side…

It took everything within Kim to muster up the grumbled word of: "Fine."

Will squinted his eyes at her. "I don't need your _approval_." Then he walked stoically down the open plank and into the jungle outside.

"Ron." Kim spoke, not budging from her spot. "Hand me Rufus."

"W-why..?" Ron stuttered, actually leaning _away_ from Kim.

"I need something to chuck at Will's big, fat head."

Rufus basking on Ron's head instantly shot up and let out a frightening squeal before rushing inside Ron's pant pocket. The one _furthest_ away from Kim.

Her arms swinging at her sides, Kim strode down the plank as well to join Will outside. Sighing, Ron knew that would not be the last time for Kim to ask that question.

The moment Ron stepped out of the hoverjet, he was forced to shield his eyes from the glare of the sunshine. Already he felt pressed down by the humidity and heat. Wincing, he squinted his eyes and looked to the Amazonian sun. It was wild and fierce as it bore down in its full, raw intensity down at Ron below. It burned everything it touched and it indeed touched everything.

The clearing where Will had landed the hoverjet was barely a clearing at all and Ron was taken aback by how the hoverjet had actually been able to fit in this small pocket of the Amazon. All around them were towering mansions of trees; Ron already knew they stretched on forever from when he had been looking out the window on the ride over here. For if you were to only scan distance down below, you could only see past the first few rows of trees with beyond that a mist of green and blue and trees so close to one another perhaps they were all connected to each other below the ground.

After Will Du closed up the jet and locked the doors, he led the way through the largest gap of trees and disappeared nearly instantly. Ron was cautious to follow after Kim, but was desperate not to allow too much distance between them—it would be rather easy to lose oneself down here. Anxiously, Ron would reach out for Kim ahead of him, wishing he could hold onto her backpack to guide him. Maybe if he wasn't in the presence of Will Du.

Ron no longer had to squint as they stepped a few feet into the Amazon. The sunlight's unforgiving grasp did not reach far inside this hidden land. It was amazing how even though the sun's strong rays were cut off down below on the forest floor, vegetation was flourishing as much as it was. In fact, it was crazy growth, Ron thought. There were lush ferns everywhere Ron stepped and above were low hanging vines that caused Ron to shiver convulsively if one brushed his bare arm.

The sunlight may not have been as bright as it had been in the clearing, but it certainly did not slack on the heat inside the trees. Already, Ron was fanning himself and wondering if he ought to ask Kim for a water break. But at the same time, Ron did not want Kim to appear like an 'amateur' unable to withstand the heat, so he vowed to gulp down water only when Will did.

He didn't until an hour later when Kim finally spoke out.

"Are you even leading us in the right direction?" she asked, swinging her hip to one side and resting a gloved hand upon the bare skin. Ron huddled next to her. "I _assumed_ since you took charge right into this place that you knew where you were going but shouldn't we be at Drakken's Lair by now?"

Will glanced down at his handheld device then at Kim. "No. Is this your way of asking for a break?"

Kim let out a haughty snort. "Uh, _no_. You said back there it'd be an hour hike!" And she flopped her arm in the supposed direction they had came. Grievously, Kim pushed back her deflated hair and swept the sweat from her forehead. She said in an undertone to Ron, "You can take a drink now. Hand me my bottle too, please." Ron eagerly followed Kim's orders.

Will opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked down at his device, directly ahead and said, "No. I said it would be over a day."

"_What?!_"

"What!"

"Over a _day?_" Kim repeated, absolutely mind-blown. She held the water-bottle Ron had just handed her from her pack. "Are you _joking_?"

"No." Will looked at Kim, his tiny, black, stony eyes blinking.

"You lied," Kim hissed.

"Kim…" Ron hastened to murmur a reminder.

"You _lied_ to us! You deliberately lied to us, didn't you?"

"I did not lie."

"You did! Just so you could come with us."

"I did _not_ lie," he retorted harshly. "I do not lower myself to such an act."

"Oh _yea right_! Then why did—"

"Kim," Ron whispered in her ear, sidling closer to her. "Maybe he just made a mistake."

Kim eyes widened. "You made a mistake. That's it, you made a mistake."

Instantly Will's eyes narrowed. "I made a momentary lapse in judgement."

"A really _big_," and Kim actually used air quotes, " 'momentary lapse in judgement'! This means we're going to have to camp out here."

"C-camp?!" Of course that was Ron.

"Yes."

"And you brought tent gear?" Kim countered back in a snarl at Will.

"I-I didn't…" Ron muttered.

"I did," Will responded.

"This is just too lame," Kim flopped her arms at her side. "You could have at _least_ been man enough to admit to us you made a mistake instead of leading us on like this. You not only lied to us but now you're putting the _world_ in danger!"

Kim's voice lost its incredibility and became serious, even dire, "Will, who knows what Drakken could do in a day's time? Just because you want some glory on this mission shouldn't be the point. The point should be the quickest and most effective way at stopping his plan and if that meant letting Ron and myself parachute down and stop him by ourselves then that's what should've been done." A pause. "Don't you get that?"

"Drakken has sent up his lair for weeks now, if not months. It will take many more to gather all he needs for his plan; there is no danger to the world."

Kim's jaw slid open and she exchanged a glance with Ron. "You just don't wanna soak up anything I said, do you?" she asked openly.

"I _do_," Will gritted his teeth and for the first time was actually showing some emotion; disparity. "Kimberly, do you think I would not factor that in? I have looked at _all_ angles—this is what I'm trained to do! As I said, Drakken will not have his plan ready for many months and we can spare a day. There is no danger to our planet at this moment!"

Kim shook her head softly. " 'Spare a day' so _you_ can be involved in this. It could have cut that day."

"Won't it take a day to come back then as well?" Ron asked quietly.

But Kim held up a hand to silence Ron. "Later," she murmured to him.

She returned to Will, "What you only factored in was _yourself_, that, apparently, was your most important fact. I thought as a 'professional', you would have to put the world ahead of yourself." Then she exchanged another look with Ron, "At least that's something _we_ have always understood." Then in a lower voice to Ron she said, "Let's go."

So Ron traipsed over and through the undergrowth after Kim and past Will Du who was left to stand and think on what Kim had just spoken. As Ron had passed Will, Ron kept his eyes to the ground, not wishing to make any eye contact with him at all.

Will was not left behind long for soon Ron heard his feet crunching through the ferns and assorted vegetation. Kim now had her Kimmunicator out and was following a map probably sent by Wade.

At least all was silent between the two friendly rivals again. This seemed to be the best Ron could ever hope for from the two. It had almost been that perhaps they could have found some sort of common ground. But to Ron, Kim had showed herself the better person out of the two and Will had been wounded by his own pride.

They continued to walk on and slowly, like being in a movie theatre Ron compared, the daylight down in this wild world, began to dim. As the hours passed, the light slowly receded up the way it came through the leaves and branches of the canopy above. Surely within the hour, if not the half-hour, they would be surrounded in darkness. It would be then that Ron knew they would _definitely_ be surrounded in even a _more_ wild and twisted world; he shuddered.

"We'll stop here for the night," Will stated curtly from behind.

Kim halted and quietly turned to face Will. He lifted his head to the sky, although there was no sky to be seen.

"_Finally_," Ron heaved a sigh, dropping onto his rear and exhaling deeply.

Will sharply turned to Kim, "You have a tent?"

"No duh," Kim snorted lightly in an undertone while stripping off her pack. Ron noticed she had her eyes on Will from the corner.

"Well you better set it up quickly." He too was taking off his pack and was rummaging around with such a professional swiftness he didn't even appear to be in a hurry.

"And why's _that_?" Kim asked. Did she almost sound exasperated with Will by now? She knelt down next to Ron. He was squeezing his sneakers in an attempt to relieve his aching feet.

"Because it's going to rain."

"Oh, yea right!" Kim let out a course laugh. "And how can you _tell_? You can't even see the sky—"

"Kim," Ron called to her gently. "Kim…"

"Not now, Ron. Look, just because you're all 'Oo, I come from GJ and I _claim_ to have aaaall this training—"

"Kim."

"Ron, hush. Doesn't mean you're some big shot who has special weather sensing abilities. I mean, _who_ was wrong about the time it would take to reach Drakken's Lair? So _therefore—_"

She stopped in mid sentence. Ron cast his head away from Kim, refusing to look at her. He felt embarrassment for her sake. He knew what she had felt. It had been a raindrop and it smacked Kim squarely on the nose to silence her. Soon, more came pattering down in an alaruming rate.

Kim snapped out of her trance and gave a slow, sharp intake of breath while lifting her head to the sky. More… more… and _more_ rain came showering down onto Kim that began plastering her hair to her head. She had the feeling that more rain was yet to come.

"As I said." Will stood in front of his already set tent. Kim stood in the now near pouring rain stupidly. "You might want to hurry," he gave Kim one of _the_ most obnoxious smirks she had ever witnessed on a person before disappearing into his tent.

"ERGH," Kim growled fiercely, causing Ron to flinch on the ground next to her. Kim stared with hatred upon the spot where Will had only been momentarily. She _hated_ that pompous, arrogant, snide-spoken—

"Kim," Ron's voice broke through her boiling thoughts. He was already becoming soaked. "I think we should set up the tent…"

"Yea, okay, fine, Ron," she grunted under her breath, sending one last look of daggers in the way of Will's tent. Oh_, just wait until it's time to face the villains and_ then_ we'll see who'll be shooting down who!_

As she focused on these thoughts with extreme determination, she began to pull the rolled up plastic cover of the tent and the polls that went along with it. She handed some to Ron still sitting on the ground with his legs outstretched in front of him.

"Set that up," she told him harshly, "And don't sit on the ground. You'll get your pants all muddy." Immediately she returned to properly unfolding the plastic.

Without a word, Ron stumbled to his feet and began to unfold the tent polls. He had thought about asking Kim why Wade hadn't had given them some sort of automatic tent but knew that now was not the time to ask such a question. Kim was in one of her moods once again and asking her would only irritate her.

So they worked separately on the tent although their silence was in unison. At least, for the time being.

-ø-

"Hurry and finish setting it up!" Kim's giggled voice came from inside the collapsing tent.

Kim now was in a far more fetching mood than previous when Will had left her with that smug smile in her memory while she worked on a cumbersome tent in the thudding rain. He had probably sat up and _basked_ in Kim's… 'amateur-isim', Kim had snarled this to herself while she had been in the rain. But that had been quite some time ago by now and Kim was barely thinking of Will Du at all.

As hard to believe as it was and although night had fallen upon Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable within this Brazillian rainforest and despite the thunderous down pour as well, they still had not quite finished setting up the tent.

It had been Ron, (how Kim loved him!), who had cheered her up as they had worked separately together, yet diligently. Probably not intentionally, but he had all the same, by just being who he was, strived to help Kim finish setting up the tent and lift her mood. Ron, no matter how fierce Kim was feeling, was always there to soothe her.

"Well, I'm _trying_ to!" Came Ron's voice, muffed by the pounding rain, "But it's kinda hard to see through all this downpour!" Kim giggled again in Ron's misfortune.

Not too long ago, they had a quick round of _rock, paper, scissors_; Ron who lost to Kim was forced to finish setting up the tent in the rain, as was their stakes. "I can't see the hole in the bar…" Ron called out. "It's raining so hard I can barely keep my eyes open! And… and rain keeps splattering on my glasses!"

Kim had had barely enough time to toss her and Ron's sleeping bags into the deformed, unfinished tent, along with herself and Rufus before the rain could get the best of her—for now the rain outside was able to rival that of a cascading waterfall! Smoothing out her sleeping bag of wrinkles and laying it straight, she sat on her legs looking to the silhouette of the skinny boy outside trying desperately to finish hooking up the last pole of the tent together.

Leaning forward, Kim poked at Ron's silhouette through the tent and watched his head shift, so she assumed he saw her poking. "Ron, you're such a fr00b. Pitching a tent is no big. You're making too much of it."

She heard a grunt course from Ron and a mumbled response something along the lines of: "Not making too much… can't see a ruddy thing… couldn't do any better than me…" Then, "Kim, I am _so_ seriously getting wet here."

The retort seemed to have written itself, "If you stay out there too long, I won't let you come in and you'll have to sleep under the tree like a dog!"

Kim smiled and laid out Ron's sleeping bag beside hers despite her threat. She then lifted up the little pouch attached to her belt and raised the flap. The small naked mole-rat which was Ron's beloved pet poked his head out and snickered along with Kim.

To Rufus, Kim said, "There you go…" as she laid the pouch beside Ron's pillow and propped the pouch up against it so it almost seemed to form its own kind of mini sleeping bag.

Rufus sighed happily and slipped back under the pouch flap and restfully drifted to sleep.

With another smile to herself, Kim brought out her Kimmunicator and clicked it on. "Hey Wade!" She called cheerfully.

Flickering on the little screen was Wade, in his comfy pyjamas, his eyes drooped only slightly. Kim often wondered if the ten-year old super genius ever slept.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing such a large smile on your face!" he sounded _very_ relieved. "Gosh, Kim, I thought you'd be trying to locate my address and hunt me down!"

Kim laughed good-naturedly, "You just wait until we meet in person."

"Only in the afterlife," Wade muttered. "But I really am sorry about the camp out," Wade said to her with a vague motion of his hand.

"No big, Wade," Kim replied. "Ron and I are making do just fine; I can only be glad that it's not a school night. At least I brought some of my textbooks with me."

Wade laughed, "Oh c'mon, school work is _not_ the only thing on your mind right now."

Kim struggled_ so_ hard to hide her embarrassed smile. "W-what do you mean by that, Wade?"

"Kim…" Wade's tone altered and he leaned forwards in his seat. "You were having that talk with Ron when I beeped you, weren't you?"

"What talk…"

"About his new 'home'," Wade lifted his eyebrows knowingly.

Kim sighed, she wasn't exactly sure how Wade found out, perhaps he had tapped into Bueno Nacho security cameras. That had come in handy a few times, but now Kim wasn't too happy for Wade's mad hacking skills.

"We were. He knows we're going after this mission to visit the place. Book us the appointment?"

"Will d—"

There were no words to describe the glare upon Kim's face.

"Er, ah, I mean…" Wade shifted himself nervously and laughed as well. "I'll get on that!

Kim smiled smugly "You better. By the by, we'll contact you when we're up in the morning. And thanks again for those heavy-duty anti-rain tents, Wade. Ron is having himself a hoot outside setting up the tent."

Wade grimaced and cracked a grin, "Lost another round of _rock, paper, scissors_?"

She rolled her eyes and waved her hand, "Doesn't he always?"

"I don't get it! It's a game of chance! No one should possibly lose as many times as he does! It's just not probable." Wade shook his head.

"Yea," Kim agreed, "You'd think a game involving no strategy would be a game Ron could actually win at."

"I heard that, KP!" Ron's voice caterwauled from outside.

Kim winced and continued to Wade in a quieter voice, "But then, it is a game of luck. Something Ron has little of…"

As if on cue, a pole in one of the corners gave way and the tent sagged again. The water that was gathering up on the roof of the tent came pouring down… all on Ron.

"Aww, c'mon!!" Came Ron's cry of defeat. Ron had just proven to himself he had neither Dumb Luck _nor_ Dumb Skills.

"Could you possibly keep it _down_ out there?!" Will's voice came from the other direction from inside his own tent.

To Will, Kim pulled her nose up and stuck out her tongue. But then she instantly bit the bottom of her lip as she watched the Ron-silhouette become cascaded in rain water. "Better go, Wade. See you in the morning!"

Wade chuckled, "Not _too_ early. Believe it or not but I _do_ sleep. Sometimes."

Kim returned with a chuckle of her own then signed out, clicking the Kimmunicator off.

Pausing for a moment, it suddenly felt oddly quiet and lonesome in the tent. Kim softened her expression, holding the Kimmunicator lightly upon her lap. She dropped her head in blank thought, then lifted it to Ron outside and blinked slowly.

Kim turned her head again to look at Ron's silhouette still struggling to pitch the tent and cursing fervently under his breath. It was _him_ that she'd finally be with for the rest of her life and hopefully the rest of their lives would be for a very long time. Yet there was only this one last thing that Kim would allow to be held between her and Ron.

When Ron would return from the rehab, everything would be perfect and the two could finally be together with _no_ more drama. This was the last residue of those once obscure times. Kim was absolutely exhilarated for such a day to arrive when she would no longer have to look behind herself and only look forward bonded with Ron. But as she knew this, she knew that in the time before they reached that happy point, there would be difficulty.

Kim would be alone. She had gone through that before, being parted from Ron and it had been one of the most scarring times in her entire life. Ron was right, how could she _possibly_ in her own sane mind allow something like this to happen? Ron had right to think her insane!

How could she survive without him walking next to her on the pathway from the University buildings to the Football Stadium where her cheer practice was held? How could she go on missions without him to be her sidekick? And how in the world could she possibly go to bed at night without him sleeping next to her?

How could she lock him away?

_For our future,_ she told herself firmly. _The more Ron improves, the more I can visit. The sooner he heals, the sooner we can be together forever. _

But to endure such a time!

_Stop!_ Her mind screamed and she forcefully shut her eyes and swung her head away dynamically, her auburn hair swinging with the sudden movement.

Then with one quick moment of weakness, she carelessly let a tear shed from her eyes and stroll tranquilly down her cheek. The rain outside stopped sounding riotous and vengeful, as if it sensed her change in mood, sympathised with her to become a source of soothing and tender sounds. Shivering from the chill of the cold, she just caught the single tear when another cold breeze chilled her further

Looking up for the sudden source of the zephyr, she saw Ron himself come in from the rain and close the flap behind him. A quick double blink deceived her of her shock; she hadn't even heard him finish pitching the tent. Blushing from her lack of attentive skills, she gazed up at him and put on a mask.

The mask grinned coyly looking him up and down, "I see you took your time." It responded for her.

This was greeted with a snort but then a quirky returned smile. "Ah, well, you know me. Slow and steady wins the race."

"How about just slow?"

Ron cocked an eyebrow and responded sarcastically, "Oh haha. I think someone deserves a thanks for pitching that tent." And then he shivered truthfully, "I really _am_ wet. I can't sleep in this."

"No, you can't." Kim agreed, "It'd get all mouldy over-night."

She received another sarcastic glare, "I was _talking_ about the fact that it'd drench me to the bone. You mind?" He added, his hands at his black turtleneck bottom.

"Not at all," Kim replied indifferently while Ron stripped to his boxers and undershirt, hanging them on the bars overhead the tent made for such a purpose. He plucked off his glasses and cleaned off the raindrops with his undershirt before reapplying them to his face.

Realising she still held the Kimmunicator, Kim placed it by her pillow and tugged off her gloves then her belt. "Hang this up, ok?" She said and flung it at Ron who was hanging up his soaking sweater.

He let out a wail at the sudden belt-fling and recoiled quickly. "Sure thing, Captain Dictatorial." But he smiled wistfully as she said this.

She knew he was used to being ordered around by now and he didn't take it that way at all, but just as a part of her personality; just as she knew Ron's limits and not to be _too_ domineering. After all, although it had been over a year, none of them had forgotten Ron's Coma slash The Hand Holding escapade.

_Nor the little bracelet I still wear to remind me_. Kim too felt that around her wrist as well as his engagement ring to her. Both were indications of his love for her.

"Yo, you listening to me, KP?"

Kim lifted her head and mentally banished her thoughts away. "What was that?" She asked vapidly.

Ron laughed, and too fast for her to react, she was suddenly sprayed with water.

"Hey!" Kim cried out and shielded herself too late only to look about for the sudden water source. To that, she found Ron standing in front of her with his dripping-wet pants in his hands, grinning from to ear to ear.

"You _so_ did not water-whip me!" Kim cried out incredulously while flinging the water off her arms with vengeance.

"I just believe I did," Ron retorted smugly, still holding his pants precariously.

She let out an exaggerated groan and pointed at him theatrically, "Ron, you are _so_ going to pay for that!"

"And how would that be? I'm already drenched to the bone, I doubt you have much to threaten me with." He gave her a mocking smile, enjoying the fact that he actually pulled one over Kim for a change.

He was right, her mind admitted unwillingly, and just as she was about to call defeat with a glare and a grudge, a threat came to mind and she turned her head to Ron, grinning deviously.

Ron eyed her suspiciously, a devious Kim was _not_ a good thing as Ron had learned the hard way many times in his life.

"What..?" He asked her tentatively.

"Not if I berate your sleeping bag with water!"

Ron's jaw instantly hit the floor, "You wouldn't!!"

But with a shout of laughter, Kim launched herself forward in a flash, intent on grasping his wet pants.

"Kim!!"

Bounding forward, Kim reached out but Ron reacted instinctively by recoiling and letting out a cry of fright. Grasping the pants Kim proceeded to pull herself away, but, Ron too, had a firm grip and in result, they tumbled to Kim's backward onto the sleeping bags, the pants lashing out water-droplets as they went down with laughter and wails.

Tossing and turning, the two each fought with equal vigour; Kim eager to return the 'favour' and Ron intent on having aqueous-less dreams. Soon, the pants were cast aside and the two friends were romping with each other, now both laughing in delight of just fooling-around.

"Ha!" Kim shouted in exultation for she had just pinned Ron down, not for the first time ever. "I win!" A complacent smile crept about her face.

Ron smirked back, not to be out-down, he replied, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. For I know The Great Kim Possible's one and only weakness!"

Kim snorted and tossed her head in scorn, "So not!"

"So, _so!_" And on that remark, Ron ruefully reached out and tickled Kim on her left side, just above her hip.

Swiftly, Kim reacted uncontrollably, flinching back and laughing outright. Between breaths, she managed to work out the words, "No… fair..!"

As soon as Kim showed weakness and recoiled herself away from Ron, he seized upon the advantage. He pushed himself forward and forced Kim down as she continued to laugh from the sudden tickle-attack.

Before she knew it, they were in reverse and Ron had pinned Kim down. Letting the laughter subdue, she opened her eyes wider and gazed up at Ron, still intoxicated with the giggles. But they soon cleared away, and she blinked up at Ron, suddenly realising her situation.

Ron's face depicted victory, but when Kim cleared her expression and blinked at him, as if in realisation, he stopped smiling and blinked as well. The two stayed where they were looking at each other in equal mild shock.

Reacting first, Ron pulled himself off hastily and onto his sleeping bag, a slight tinge in his pale freckled cheeks and a look of disconcertment upon his face.

Without sound, Kim lifted herself up also with a baffled look on her face. What was he so blushy for? It's not like they hadn't done something similar before. But then… maybe it would be one of the last times they had a night like this what with Ron's pending voyage.

The rain outside pattered onto the tent above her head rhythmically, it made her feel drowsy. Gently, she laid herself back down onto her sleeping bag to turn on her side and look at Ron. Kim lay on her back to watch the rain hit the tent above and collect into puddles above their heads.

Other then the lashing rain outside, and the breathing of the two friends (Rufus included), not much sounded about them. The sudden torrential rain had probably sent most of the jungle creatures into dry recluse in hidden hallows and caves. Normally jungle sounds would resonate around them in the calm night air; noises such as crickets composing their sonnets, a leopard purring after a midnight meal, an exotic bird singing its song to the moon or (to Ron's horror) some sort of simian having late-night chats with friends.

In some way, she was glad for the rain, it kept the monkeys at bay and their sounds to nil, otherwise, Ron may keep her up all night with cries and whispers like that of one in a slasher film.

Without thinking, Kim turned her head to look at Ron. Like her, his head was to the tent above. She could only wonder what her friend was thinking. It was odd to see him like this, so quiet. Ron was usually a chatter-box and it'd take a muzzle of titanium alloy to keep that mouth closed. His soft brown eyes were usually alight with optimism (when they weren't shimmering with fear of some mad-scientist). He was normally so talkative which would turn into so many other topics that she sometimes wondered if he had Attention Deficit Disorder. Not that Ron was stupid, but to see him lost in thought was something of an irregularity.

Kim decided to break the silence with a new topic.

"Ron," She began. She decided to speak slowly, to see if Ron actually felt like talking about anything. Sometimes, silence was a _good_ thing.

But he responded in his normal voice with a "Ya-huh, Kim?" Then a turn of his face to his friend.

"Nothing."

Ron purred in amusement, "Nothing my mole-rat's rear-end! C'mon, KP, what's up? Something you wanna say about Will Du?"

Kim grunted.

"Oh I have tons to say on _him_, but no. I was just… just thinking. But I don't want to talk about it now." Ron gazed at her silently, she could tell from his eyes he knew what she was talking about. "It's just… I like being like this with you Ron. And I guess… I guess I'm just realising how much I'll miss it."

"How much it'll hurt."

"That too."

"KP, look…" Ron turned on his side to properly face Kim. "I'm not happy about this one bit. I'm not happy you went behind my back, I'm not happy you talked to my Mom; I'm not happy you're forcing me to do this. None of that is cool at all, I hope you understand that."

Kim's eyes began shimmer and she gave a small gasp of fright.

"But what I'm not happy about this most is being forced to be away from you. That's what totally blows about this whole sitch." Kim let out another gasp as Ron reached out for her and lightly skimmed her cheek; she dipped her head down slightly. "That's gonna hurt the most."

"But Ron, if you do what they say and improve yourself quickly, we won't have to—"

"Kim," his voice altered to a tone she rarely heard from him. It was so serious, so… "I know it's hard for you to understand but it just isn't that easy or I'd've stopped the moment you got all upset when you confronted me."

A flash of guilt hit Kim and she felt she could no longer look at Ron.

"But, yea, I admit. It's a pain, I don't wanna do it no more. And we're almost there, right?"

Kim looked to him endearingly.

He gave a grin, "Almost reached the end of all this, right? My turn now."

"Ron!" It was awkward in her separate sleeping bag, but Kim managed to lean forward and wrap her arms around Ron's neck once more. He laughed at her struggle to hug him. "I just don't want you to go in there resenting me."

"Oh, no… I'll be too busy kicking 'n screaming as they drag me and lock me in to even be _thinking_ about that."

Kim laughed in relief, Ron joining her. Just to hear him laugh with her once more after this confrontation comforted Kim.

However the comfort veil was suddenly lifted when she felt the cold air chill her. Instinctively she looked to the tent flap, only to remember that Ron had closed it. As it progressed later into the night with the rain still thrashing down from the heavens, it would prove colder. Something one doesn't really think of right away when they think of the Brazilian rainforest, but cold it was nonetheless.

It wasn't just her, Ron shivered too.

_Poor Ron!_ Kim thought compassionately, _He's already cold and wet from standing out there so long, now he's in nothing but his underclothes, still damp as a rag! If he doesn't warm up, he may catch cold._

Kim formulated a plan—pulling herself out of her sleeping bag, she unzipped the zipper all the way then proceeded to do the same with Ron's.

Letting out a quavering wail, her friend cried, "Kim! What are you doing? I'm cold enough as it is!" And he grabbed his own shoulders intent to hinder his own shivers, his teeth beginning to chatter.

"I have an idea." Kim briefed ineffectually.

"And would Kim _care_ to elaborate?" Ron asked dryly.

"You'll see," She replied straightforward.

Ron did. Rather reluctantly, he hauled himself out of his sleeping bag and onto the bitter tent floor. He watched curiously as Kim zipped the sleeping bags up again, but this time to _each other_. So the two sleeping bags formed one large one.

"I learned this in science class once. If you're with someone who has hypothermia, you do this to share body heat and keep them warm. You see? Our body heat will create warmth and we won't be so cold any more. You can put Rufus' pouch inside too." And with a flourish, she stood up while waving her hand at what she had just invented.

"Way to go, KP!" Ron exclaimed jubilantly. "Now let me in I'm cold," He whined and swiftly slipped into the roomy sleeping bag. Scooping up the pouch Rufus was sleeping in, he placed it in the corner of the bag and propped it against the pillow tenderly.

Kim laughed joyously and was about to quickly slide herself in as well. A bare midriff and cold did _not_ mix.

"Much better!" Ron smiled and faced himself inwardly to Kim. "Eww…" he wrinkled his nose and pulled away from her. "You're still wet, I'm not going near you."

"Ah?" Kim asked look down at her damp mission shirt. "Ron, it's not as wet as you were, it'll dry."

"Nu-uh, not if we're sharing conjoined sleeping bags."

Kim's eyes narrowed but her mouth kept a form of dry amusement. "Ron, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

"Hey, I'm not asking, did you hear any question marks?" He added loftily, "I am _implying_."

"H'mm," Kim's eyebrows now rose as well and she regarded Ron carefully. "Fine. But don't get your hopes up."

"Do I ever," Ron laughed.

"All the time," Kim shot back as she began to pull her clothing off as well only remaining in her undergarments along with Ron. "Well, it's not like we haven't been like this before," she rolled her eyes.

She looked at Ron again and saw a look of intense amusement upon his face and Kim couldn't help but laugh and snuggle closer to her friend to make him warmer, greeted with his laughter. Suddenly, she felt Ron's body heat rather relaxing and, quite impetuously, she let herself nestle closer to him. Even his scent enraptured her mind and his breathing a source of soothing sounds along with the pitter-pattering of the rain above.

Letting all these things entrance her senses, she felt her conscious self begin to dilatorily slip from reality. She was beginning to lose thought of what she was doing and suddenly everything became impulse. Placidly, she raised her hand and placed it atop Ron's rising chest. Ron reacted to the touch.

She didn't see the movement, rather, but felt it. The delicate and slight touch made Kim shiver more than the brisk cold had that day. Not only that, but she felt a sudden rush of adrenalin course through her body and a giddy euphoria leapt inside of her. Ron had cautiously placed a hand onto Kim's waist and as he rested it there, it still felt as if he was indecisive of his movement. So to assure him, she moved even closer to him, her hand still resting on his chest. This decided the matter for Ron and he let his hand drop and rest with repose on her side.

Together the two took rest from the events of the day. For Kim, the anxiety of confronting Ron, the near act of murdering Bonnie, the hike through the jungle and having to deal with Will Du along with the prospect of dealing with him again to-morrow. For Ron it was the shock of Kim's surprise, being the usually ignored mediator of Kim and Will and the suicidal journey through the jungle along with the fact of having to repeat it all over again.

Although Kim and Ron were both exhausted and fatigued from their more than eventful day, neither were exactly _sleepy_. Ron expressed this when he began to wiggly in and pull over the sleeping bag so their entire heads were covered, Kim felt Ron move close and touch her nose with his.

It was completely dark underneath the covers, her eyes had not adjusted, so she gave a small gasp of shock when she suddenly felt Ron's arms slip around her waist and hug her tightly. She couldn't help but giggle again. Nestling her face into his chest, Kim took in a deep breath of Ron's wonderful scent. She was still cold, being in her skivvies, but she still felt so splendidly comfortable with Ron regardless. In fact, she felt rather thrilled and daring, the way they laid together now, so close and intimate underneath the covers in the middle of the Amazon in their undergarments. They were both cold from being out in the pouring rain and they snuggled close trying to steal each other's warmth that barely either of them even had. To build up warmth, they couldn't help from wiggle about and it only made them giggle to themselves further. But they were so happy to be together like this. This was one of those times that made missions _more_ than worth while, being out here with Ron in jungle, alone.

When Kim was substantially warmer, she nestled her cheek against Ron's chest and felt his breath blow across her hair. "Mm, this is great," she murmured.

"Ha," Ron replied in a crowing whisper. "And poor Will's in the next tent all alone!"

"Oh," Kim retorted smoothly, a playful smile on her face, not that Ron could see. "Would you like me to invite him over for a threesome?" She rubbed him underneath his chin with a finger.

"OH EW!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! He'll hear us!" she laughed some more pressing her head against him as she struggled to tame her laughter while wiggling her legs.

Ron purred heavily, moving even closer to Kim. "Hear what?"

"Us _laughing_, duh," she laughed again. She wasn't sure why, but she was having a serious case of the giggles.

"Mm?" Ron asked, moving further yet, "Are you _sure_?"

"Sure of what?" Kim struggled to stifle more giggles and to back her head away from Ron as he moved even closer, only finding out there was no more space left for her head to go.

"Maybe you don't want him hearing something else." He purred again and Kim felt the distinct lick of his tongue upon her cheek as he fought for her attention and nuzzled her again.

"Ron…" Kim opened an eye, after scrunching them from previously recoiling from him playfully. "What are you doing?" But she already knew the answers.

His mood was a little similar to another Kim recognised from _last_ Spring, but this wasn't the same and she knew it. Ron was not enhanced by the Mystical Monkey Powered Harp; now that Kim knew Ron was a little more… loving, in the Spring, she actually picked up on his affectionate moods more. That and he was now _allowed_ to present himself to her unlike in the past where they had been unknown to one another's feelings.

Although she noticed a difference, he was _no-where_ near like last Spring. The only difference from any normal month to Spring was he was in the way that he was more affectionate; he preferred to cuddle next to her more and lightly harass her like he was doing so now for her attention. He never, _ever_ forced himself on her or went too far in any way. The very first time he showed this side to her at the beginning of Spring, it frightened Kim because of the memories of last time (or lack there of!), but she soon found herself smiling and squealing inside at how wonderfully loving he was towards her.

"Kim," he said, unable to stop his purring and gave her cheek another soft lick. "Don't go to sleep yet."

She yawned, "Why not, I'm so tired, Ron…" But she reached out and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck regardless.

When she did so, Ron smiled and slipped his own arms around her waist.

"We were walking all day through this stupid jungle _and_ I had to endure talking (and listening to, augh) Will Du, that smarty-arrogant-know-all and even carry _you_ from time to time. I'm tired," she stated again, "And we have a busy day to-morrow. Why not sleep?"

"Cos," he said simply. He swooned forwards and kissed Kim on the lips so softly and so sweetly, they were the kind Kim loved best.

"Ah, Ron," she sighed nuzzling her face next to his. "I love you, but I'm so tired…"

"But Kim," he appealed, nuzzling her in return strongly. "We don't have sleep-over missions often. We're all alone out here in the jungle—"

"Unfortunately, Will _is_ a somebody."

"But it's just you 'n me in this tent," He hid his head in her neck. "You 'n me under the covers. Don't you hear the rain, Kimbo? So soothing, yea?" He nuzzled her again, this time close to her ear and she could hear a slight moan escape his lips. "So…"

"So perfect in putting one to sleep…" Kim finished with a yawn. It was a poor move on her point for as soon as she opened her mouth, Ron accepted and slipped his tongue in. The instant he did, Kim felt her chest rise but she soon discovered herself unable to stop herself from returning the kiss. When Ron pulled out, he gave her lips a tiny lick with his tongue.

"Not for sleeping," he whispered and Kim's ears opened more to the sound of the rain pitter-pattering. It was quite loud, not that she thought on it and she felt sorry for any animal caught in its beatings.

"For…" Ron positioned himself more on top of Kim, pinning her into the corner of the sleeping bag. He licked her lightly again, barely a touch. "We should be like now, how we shoulda been in Austria."

"Australia."

"Yea, we should, you know. That was a missed opportunity." She felt Ron press his body close onto hers and she blushed as he kissed her check. "It was such a cool place."

"It was…" And Kim truly believed it to be so. Kim recalled her desire to have stayed in that small bungalow in Australia for a far longer time than she and Ron had spent in it. It was in the middle of nowhere, and it had all the comforts of a hideaway. With Ron, it would be the perfect place to stay, to live… to…

"Too bad you were all low on drugs," Kim said. "You were insanely drugged back then."

"Not now. That place may've been neat, but this place has got its opportunities."

"Ron, it's a tent."

In response, Ron kissed Kim on the lips, the first was long and passionate— then he added more shorter once, although they did not skive on the passion. Kim gasped underneath and Ron kissed her again, then pulled away. She knew he was looking her in the eyes.

"So whaddya say?" he prompted. "Made my case for ya?"

Kim reached out and brushed her hand by the side of Ron's face. The moment that she touched him, Ron leaned into the touch and basked in it. Just as Kim was to place her hand down, Ron gave it a parting kiss then surprised Kim by lightly kissing her neck.

"Ron," she gasping, fidgeting underneath. "You're in such a mood."

"Aren't you? Or are you still tired?"

"I—"

But she was unable to finish her sentence for Ron was no longer patient with her. His arms snaked tightly around her bare waist and he tugged her, pressing his body very closely to hers. Rolling on top of her into the corner, Ron groaned as he again pushed his tongue into her mouth and this time it was _his_ turn to be surprised when Kim wrapped her legs around him and pushed her tongue into his mouth— and to be even more surprised, when it was she who turned the tables, rolling onto him.

Tightly, she clasped his undershirt and Ron's arms around her moved higher, able to press her upper half against him and feel more of her that he had never been able to before. If only his undershirt wasn't on! But he dare not take it off and shy Kim away, breaking the mood he had finally and successfully swerved her into. He would not be greedy with her. At least he was able to glimpse a swift, brief view as he ducked his head to kiss on her neck.

Ron gasped as Kim now clasped his shirt with both her hands and pull from him roughly, breaking his contact with her neck. Was she angry and wanting him to stop? Not yet, he wanted to appeal, please, not yet…

But no, such a thought was far from her mind, Ron was thankful for. For Kim swooned onto him once again, delving into his mouth and pulling herself higher on top of him. Ron fidgeted in his surprise, annoying Kim as he did so. In an attempt to stop him, she pressed her lower self against him, legs on either side of him. Ron gasped in his shock, pulling himself up as if to sit up, but Kim pushed him back down and the kiss she next gave him was more soothing and reassuring; a kiss to express her love.

Ron kissed her as well on the lips and he reached now for her hands, clasping them in his. When they pulled away, she gasped with pleasure and he nuzzled his cheek against hers. Placing his mouth by her ear, he began to whisper sweet words to her, words that were so private and loving, they were only uttered for the two of them to hear. Kim blushed as he spoke such adoring nothings to her and pressed herself closer to him once more in an urgency to hear and feel more. Such an intense burning surged through her chest and it gave her the notion that she fervered to weep with happiness, but no tears came however strongly this feeling swelled inside her ribcage.

Leaning forwards, she returned such words to Ron, hurriedly and wiggling her legs in an unaccounted for anticipation. Ron laughed melodically to Kim's ear and she felt his hair sweep by her forehead. Kim blushed, looking at him and waiting for some sort of approval for the words she had whispered to him. He responded and caressed her face then kissed her upon the lips once more.

Kim lifted her head to kiss him and again found herself clasping his undershirt. Tightening her hold on Ron's body with her legs, they kissed one another on the mouth with a returning passion. Ron's arms again found their way around her lower back, rubbing her there and eager for her touch.

Once again they threw themselves around the other, giving into urges that they had not satisfied in a long, long, overdue time. They gave into one another for quite awhile, making sure that they not only kept quiet, but took advantage of their shared, intimate moment should they not share it again until a time neither of them knew, save just in case. They touched, loved, took and gave as much as they dared, the only boundary to keep their undergarments on and avoid certain places. Otherwise they were limitless and continued for as long as they could, only, but slowly, coming to halt when they were both ready.

Ron was kissing Kim urgently on the lips repetitively while stroking her hair when he felt this moment come. Kim was already quietening and he felt his own self begin to feel the wear of the day and their loving romp within the sleeping bag. Slowing, Ron gave her smaller kisses while nuzzling her in between until he stopped his kisses altogether and only nuzzled.

He wasn't sure if he, or Kim, fell asleep for a brief time. But for awhile, they only laid together in silence, the only sound, their breathing. One of Ron's arms was underneath Kim, the other cast across his own stomach. Kim's body was tilted towards Ron and Ron again turned to face her, giving her a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I love you," he murmured.

Kim's eyes double-blinked and she appeared as if she had snapped out of a revere. Perhaps Kim's thoughts were the same as Ron's often were when they laid together in such a loving way, of thoughts of all that had happened to them the previous year and even before that: the turmoil and emotions, the pain and the hidden feelings. Shifting, she looked at him straight in the eyes. Ron was neither afraid nor offended.

"I love you too," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. "I want to be with you forever."

Purring with contentment, Ron laid himself next to her, snuggling close and tucking his head under hers. Daringly, he reached out and gave her bare shoulder a tiny lick.

"So you think we woke him?" Ron asked.

A small series of laughs issued from Kim. "I bet he could sleep through a hurricane."

"Through the end of the world!" Ron whickered too. "Too bad because then we could spite him and make him jealous."

"Oh, ew, gross me out, why don't you?" Kim scoffed.

Ron continued to whicker naughtily while Kim smiled, waiting for his response. She was barely able to see Ron's form underneath, but she saw and felt him lean into her and the next thing she knew, he gave her a long and gentle kiss.

Kim was blushing when they parted, she loved how he could still make her blush like that.

"I can't wait for us to get married," she whispered laying her head into his chest.

She felt his hand reach up and brush her hair. "I was nervous when I thought I had to propose to you, but you were right. Nothing's going to change, it's just going to be official. That'll be so awesome… Can you imagine? No-one's going to get in our way now." Briefly, his mind flickered to Josh, of Kim sitting next to him devotedly and only glancing at Ron with hatred. Nevermore.

"Just me and you."

"Like it always was," he leaned forwards and Kim fell back into the sleeping bag as he kissed her again and she returned it.

They kissed a few more times before Ron rolled on top of her, pinning her to the corner of the sleeping bag and bringing the rest closer to tightly wrap themselves up. Snuggling her lovingly and brimming her with warmth.

Gasping, Kim buried her head into Ron's chest and soaked in his scent. A flurry of memories surfaced, like the night she had spent in Ron's sheets after she had discovered the hospital was going to pull the plug while he had been in the coma. She had snuck into his house, his bedroom and wrapped herself up in his sheets and suffocated herself into his pillows, allowing them to collect her tears as if it had been Ron himself. She had felt such a pulsating desire to constantly be with Ron, such a burn to be with him even though there hadn't been any way he could've been back then.

But now she _did_ have Ron, here, before her and she didn't not have to substitute Ron with his blankets. Kim threw her arms around Ron and felt him nuzzle her hair and place a small kiss upon her cheek. Vulnerability was something Kim never allowed to be shown to the world, for she as Kim Possible after all, and vulnerable she was _not_.

And yet here, with Ron, she felt that vulnerability, as she could only ever feel with Ron, or allow herself to succumb to the notion that—yes—even _Kim Possible_ needed to look up at someone, not down, and yearn for that look of acceptance and devotion in the person's eyes. Of course, it went without saying that person could only ever be Ron.

Ron Stoppable whom she loved to tears.

What would she ever do without him? Surely one could not exist without the other, as it had once been said in a long ago time, many stories ago.

It was this that Kim felt now, as they clung to one another in the darkness and the merged sleeping bag. There was no threat outside that endeavoured to split the two apart, and yet they clung to each other as if that foreboding looming threat was hiding just outside their tent flap.

_Yes,_ Kim told herself, _I can only ever love Ron. It's so obvious now, even when I look back on our childhood and everything we've ever said or been to each other. Back when I didn't even know it! It was there, I just didn't know the word. I love him…_

So she told him physically by rubbing her cheek fiercely against his chest and gave a small sniffle.

From there, a sense of satisfaction rose within Kim and she felt her chest swell with that very emotion. Snuggling her arms tighter around Ron's neck, she nestled closer, ready to fall asleep like this with her best friend and lover: such a combination of the two that there was no word to describe what they were to one another. It was a cheesy word to Kim, and she hated it, but perhaps _this_ was really want the word 'soul-bonded' meant. To be so attached to someone… so attached… so attached that… Her soul could not possibly exist without his nearby. Surely this was what it meant. The fact that anyone and any other time could have possibly felt such a connection to someone else was almost insulting to Kim. No, no one had this level of attachment to another.

Kim felt her neck release its tension and the soft, lame pillow beneath her head welcome her grace, ensuring it would keep her safe as she slept— and Ron, guarding her on top was probably asleep already. Yes, this was how it was meant to be. Just the two of them. Whenever, wherever.

"I'm gonna ask you a question, KP."

Okay, so maybe Ron _wasn't_ asleep just yet.

"Oh?" Kim asked, covering a yawn, although inside she had suddenly become alert. She could tell just by Ron announcing he was going to ask her something told her whatever Ron was about to ask, was not a time for Kim to doze off. "What?"

She felt Ron stir in the darkness and she blinked twice, waiting for a response. Why was he holding back? Kim frowned, was it going to be that serious? She wished she could read his expression.

"Ron?"

"Yea." More silence. "Kim?"

"What?"

Another pause and Kim sighed. "Ron, you can just spit it out. You don't need to hold back. Ask me anything, I don't care."

"Are you attracted to me?"

Kim's instant response was a splutter of near laughter. "No duh, Ron," Kim smirked in the darkness and reached out to play with his soft, blonde hair but just as her fingertips lay touch, he pulled away, confusing her. "Ron?"

"I know we, like, kiss 'n stuff, but that's not what I mean this time."

"Then what do you mean?" And this was an honest question from Kim.

It was then that she felt Ron's body lean closer in on her and she flustered slightly to move herself in a more comfortable position. He was back to lying on top of her, yet he propped his upper self on his hands and she conceived the notion that he was looking down at her. She tried to meet his eyes in the dark, somewhere, looming over her.

"What?" she repeated.

"I mean are you attracted to me more than that?"

"More than what?"

"More than what we already do, that's what."

"Meaning?"

"The kissing stuff. Like just now."

It was Kim's turn to accept the silence. Now she was thankful Ron could not see her clearly in the dark, her eyes were darting nervously for she now understood what exactly Ron was asking. It wasn't a favoured topic of hers.

"So what do you wanna know about it?"

She heard agitation enter Ron's voice— agitation that, in Kim's opinion, crept in too quickly. "If you're attracted to me more than that."

"Oh."

"Well are you?" She was shocked by his persistent blutness.

"Ron, you know I love you. I don't exactly like it when you ask me these questions. It kinda sounds like you're pressuring me into something _I_ don't want to do yet. What's your ish, huh? You're beginning to sound like one of those guys that just want me for—"

She stopped speaking when she heard Ron click his tongue impatiently.

"KP, I _know_ you don't want to right now and how many times do I gotta say I'm down with that? Hey, Kim, gimme some credit, right? My question is _why_ you don't wanna, that's all. It's just bugging me in my mind that maybe it's me or… or, or maybe something _I_ did and not you and… and, like, well, so I gotta approach you so you can tell me, right?" She gave no response. "Isn't that a _good_ thing?"

Ah, yes, this new urgency of Ron's into 'talking' and 'making things clear'. A fear left in him from the days of old.

"Yea, it is, Ron."

"So? What is it? What's upsetting you about it?"

She jolted slightly underneath Ron and she scrunched up her eyes when she realised Ron must have felt it too.

"So there is somethin' upsetting you."

He probably felt her tense beneath him as well.

"So it's something specific. It's not just a matter of wanting to wait, hah?"

"Ron…"

Ron lowered himself in the darkness, laying on top of Kim and nuzzling her cheek against his. He folded his arms across her collar bone and laid his head there.

"Maybe you 'n I oughta talk about it?"

Kim gave a groan. No, she _didn't_ want to talk about it. Why couldn't Ron just be his clueless self right now and _not_ pick on her slightest movements? And now she was caught and would have to tell him something, and should it be a lie that she told, which it would _have_ to be, she would have to concoct it in mere seconds for Ron was waiting.

And still was.

"Collecting your thoughts?" he asked, his voice gentle. How alight his mind was to-night! "You know we've got some of those Rules about being almost-married, right? And onna them is having no secrets. Telling me is like telling yourself."

And then Kim understood.

'_Telling me is like telling yourself'_.

A small tear surfaced in the corner of Kim's eye and the moment it did the understanding of: '_I can't even accept it myself, not even now'_. Oh, Ron! Why did he have to bring this up? If it weren't for him, these thoughts and emotions could still be buried and forgotten within a deserted, desolate hallway of her own inside Kim's mind. But now that door was open, even just a crack!, and as Kim narrowed her eyes in frustration, wiping the tear away, she knew she would have to shut that door again… this time bolting it shut forever.

Ron's voice hithered Kim from her thoughts that desired to wrap around her mind and pull her from reality:

"Did someone hurt you?"

That tear, blast it, was resurfacing again. A small voice within Kim's mind, hiding behind some corner whispered an urgent reply:

_Yes, someone did hurt me. Long ago…_

She was going to respond in the negative when Ron posed her another question:

"Was it that poacher?"

Kim coughed down a laugh that had jumped out of nowhere. What a notion!

"No," she reassured Ron. The idea of such a question when her thoughts were, at present time, so personal and so intimate, ruined her entire ambiance.

"No, thought not," Ron replied with no sign of humour. "This started before that, long before."

The amusement within Kim instantly deflated. Ron was nearing the answer, too near, far too near for not just Ron's own good, but for Kim as well.

_No!_ she thought fiercely. _This is never, _EVER_ to be brought up _ever_ again! I'm not even going to give it a moment's thought anymore! My life is perfect right now. I have Ron, and I have the world. I have the two things in which I covet the most. We are starting a new chapter in our lives; after all, we will be married once Ron has finished the final chapter of healing himself. And when we start that new chapter, everything of our previous troubles, _everything_ will be left behind. We will be developed and sure of ourselves, already having learned from our past drama—there will be no need to recall it anymore. We will go anywhere and everywhere around the world, just the two of us and what we experience it all in the present time. There will be no past dwellings and we will be bonded forever, nothing shaking us apart. Nothing can tear us apart. Nothing. _Nothing._ Nothing in the future, nothing in the present and certainly nothing from the past._

_It never existed._

And so she spoke to Ron:

"No-one has ever hurt me, Ron. I find it way past absurd that you should even think such a thing. Ron, you are clueless at times, but you always dwell on the worst. Nothing like that has ever happened to me and if something should attempt to do so I would kick it where it hurts most and spit on it when it falls to the ground. Like, c'mon, Ron. You're just too obsessed and yea, okay, so you wanna ask me why and I can tell you why, I just don't want to. I guess I'm just not ready in my mind, mmkay? That's all."

A brief pause.

"No need to write me an essay, KP," he said. "I only asked cos I don't want any stuff between us. Best to let it out and talk, it's what we learned."

He reached out and gently rattled the silver charm around Kim's wrist—the bracelet he had given her two years ago for Christmas. A faint smiled crossed Kim's face.

"Just wanna make sure you don't have any, like, strife against me. So you're really all okay? Just wanting til you're all ready inside your mind?"

"Yea."

"Sure thing," Ron purred.

Kim didn't think he would eat up her response so easily, but he did and soon she felt his arms slinking around her waist like he had earlier. Flushing as he tangled his legs with hers, he rolled onto his side, tugging her body tightly to his and kissed her.

Blushing, Kim wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and allowed him to kiss hers. She gasped softly as she often did when he kissed her in such a manner and soon fell into his touch, rubbing her check longingly against his.

Ron laughed softly, pulling his face away to face hers and rub his nose affectionately against hers. This induced laughter from Kim and she waited for him to reach for the sleeping bag cover, pull it over their heads, and with the sounds of the pattering rain on the tent overhead, wrap himself around her once more for the night.


	6. Curtain Call: Mission Series FINAL

What can I say… D: ? I had a life, busy with school, illness and moar life! I can't believe it kept me from this story for so long and Kim Possible is now over. Time flies by, huh? I don't know if anyone still reads this except for a recent reviewer, but I know I need to finish this before I can start on anything else writing wise. I know how this story is going to end, and what's going to be in each chapter, but, no, I haven't written it all yet although I am ahead.

This Instalment is a long one (56 pages) so take your time reading through it before I can upload the next one! I've still got school and life to deal with, but I need to devote more time to this story and include it into my schedule. I'm sorry, guys… I really, really am. I'm just very honoured to those of you who continue to read it (and have gone back and read the first two! Ah, if I could edit them... XD ).

So! I MUST express my immense thanks to: nutty, Ace Ian Combat, CajunBear73, Classic Cowboy, Danny-171984, zero9g9, Shadowlost, Pojko, John M. Steppenwolf, C. Dawgz, nutshak, Marcus S. Lazarus (sure, go ahead! Sorry this reply is like, so late!), Lyokowarirtitan, sephiroth2004 (thank-you for that comment!), RabulaTasa, Shockwave88 and Trpl355oul whose recent review made me open this darn file again!! Thank-you everyone!

Enjoy this heckuva long chapter! Sorry for any mistakes but please do enjoy!

-A. King

* * *

¤ Instalment 06 »» _Curtain Call_ _~ Missions Series Final~ _¤

The darkness is deep within you, and you can't fix it right away

I'll be here by your side, so go ahead and cry if you want

We'll wait until the light shines through, together.

~HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, '_change_'

* * *

She had The Nightmare again.

It had been awhile since she had last had The Nightmare. Such awhile that Kim had finally believed it would never return; that it's presence to her dreams were finally over with. Had she not said not too long ago that things like this were in the past? Perhaps she had not said it loud enough.

So with an abrupt gasp of shock and horror, Kim jolted out of her sleep, her brow masked in her own sweat. Chocking and gasping at the same time repetitively, Kim struggled to calm her racing heartbeat and lower her adrenaline level. Confused with the level of emotion that had passed through The Nightmare and into the waking world she felt such emotions such as horror, fear, weakness and disparity. Kim knew she should be feeling none of these emotions in the here and now. She was awake now! Yet her mind was still reacting to The Nightmare so she allowed moments to slide by in which her mind would calm down and remember itself.

As she waited for this to complete, Kim observed her surroundings. She looked up, right, left, backwards and forwards. Yes, she was in the tent as she should be.

_Proof, mind, _proof_. _

Proof she was no longer in The Nightmare, proof she was no longer in Ron's room. Yes. For there he was to her right, curled up in the sleeping bag next to her; the only part of him visible was his scruffy hair as the rest of him was buried within the bag. Sound asleep, he could probably sleep on for hours more to come perhaps still wrapped up in his own dreams. Hopefully his dreams were less traumatic than hers had been.

Ears perking, Kim strained them then raised her head to the roof of their tent where the sound that had attracted her senses was coming from. A light rain was still pitter-pattering above them; it had not stopped raining since last night but she surmised it would cease completely in a few hours. The temperature as well was far warmer than last night, Kim no longer felt cold. Wetting her lips, Kim tilted her head downward, knowing her mind was slipping back into reality.

Then she almost gave herself another hysteria when she looked down and saw herself in her undergarments. Oh, her poor brain! The jolt seized her brain and she flinched for real, her heart skipping beats and almost placing her back into The Nightmare. But after the gasp, she rolled her eyes and again forced her mind to _calm down_. Lifting up a hand, she fanned herself lightly.

She had no idea what the time was, but she was still feeling tired so perhaps it was best to fall back asleep until Will awoke them. He wouldn't leave without them, right?

Gulping, Kim glanced at the top of Ron's head, then cautiously crawled out of the sleeping bag in her underwear and opened the tent flap a slit then peered through. Nope, Will Du was still here—his tent still pitched. She _could_ wake them now so _she_ could have the upper hand but no—_too exhausted myself!_ No, she didn't mind waiting until Will Du woke up and deemed it time to save the world. Kim closed the tent flap and crawled back into the sleeping bag, zipping it up fully and burying her face up to her nose in the sleeping bag.

Why had The Nightmare returned? She hadn't had it in months! It was one that always terrified her— even once she was awake it still had her seized in its entrapment of dread. Perhaps it had returned because of her and Ron's conversations last night… Ron had been too close, too close… It must have brought The Nightmare up in her subconscious once more.

_This is why we can never go there,_ Kim insisted to herself while wrinkling her nose. _We need to keep things like this from ever returning_.

As Kim thought, her weariness intensified and she felt the desire to slip back into a sleep. It was obvious she was not even fully awake yet herself. But at the same time, how could she fall back asleep? A part of her mind was fearful that if she should return to sleep, The Nightmare might return…

Could it? Would it? It had been frightening… every time she had it, the fear… The shadow looming… the…

No!

Kim tossed herself onto her side and into Ron. She gasped automatically but her mind recognised all of Ron: his body, his scent, his breathing and thus instantly stilled. There was no reason to fear him for he loved her beyond all devotion. He would always love her no matter what she did (it was for that reason, she had learned said the bracelet around her wrist, that she must be careful with how she treated him because he was endlessly bonded to her).

So she nestled closely to him, clasping to his undershirt just as she had done the night before and wrapped herself in him to hide from her fears and looming horrors that _still_ had the nerve to haunt her like this. She buried her face in his chest and shut her eyes.

"Keep The Nightmare away from me, Ron," she murmured.

Of course, Ron slept on blissfully unaware of Kim's entire trauma.

-ø-

Whoah, was it really true? No way.

_Dude, did I just wake up all on my own?_

And so apparently Ron did! Ron's eyes flickered open and his mind became conscious without anyone having to have awoken him. Straight ahead Ron could see light rain pelting the tent cover. It struck the tent lightly, creating soft pattering noises that brought Ron to an idyllic remembrance regarding the prior night.

It had been a night Kim and Ron had not shared with one another in a long, _long_ time. Not even during Christmas had they been like that, although Ron had to admit it had been something he had been hoping for, anticipating.

Naturally Ron enjoyed such times when they came, and who wouldn't? Ron was grateful for Kim, for everything he had with her and how they had arrived at such a time in their lives. It was not something he took for granted in the least. Memories of the turbulent emotions they had each gone through made Ron raise his eyebrows and take in a deep breath. No, those times had taught them each and he was here, to-day, with Kim like this. This had been something he had always desired.

So he shouldn't feel greedy when he thought:

_There's something else._

Ron could wait for as long as Kim desired, that wasn't what his problem with the issue was. If anyone would think that! Absolutely not. The problem was…

Even though Ron had tried to approach Kim on the matter last night, and no matter how perceptive he had tuned himself to be (with a great deal of effort!), Kim distinctly and firmly turned from his questions.

It wasn't just a matter of waiting.

And it wasn't about _that_.

It was about that there was something else between the two of them. Something Kim was withholding from Ron, this is what Ron had been able to understand so far. Some emotions caused by _something_ were holding her from him. Ron was _desperately_ trying to figure it out, to understand, what it could be—Kim had been far too emotional last night when he had talked to her, although she had tried miserably to pass it off scoffing.

_Why won't she tell me?_

The only answer that could come to Ron was because _he_ was the problem.

_But what have I done?_

Perhaps then if Kim had been able to overhear Ron's thoughts, she would have alarumed that Ron was again becoming far too close to the truth. So how ironic it was that it was Kim herself, without even knowing, that broke Ron from these dark thoughts.

Ron's eyes double-blinked and widened when he felt Kim suddenly grasp to his undershirt tightly, the hand that had just previously been resting placidly upon his chest. Looking down, he instantly gasped to see such a constrained emotion on Kim's face, a face he could barely see.

Her face was tucking away from him and she was murmuring fervently, Ron could not hear nor understand what Kim was muttering (she seriously could _not _have just said 'Monkey Fist', right?) but whatever dream she must be having, it was distressing her a great deal. Sleeping on top of him, he felt her curl up, both her hands clasping to his undershirt as if she would fall into a lost world should she let go.

"Kim!" he had to wake her. He called to her quietly, yet fervently. "KP! Kimbo, wake up!" He riled her carefully, hoping she wouldn't lash out at him. "Kim!"

With a final out-bursting gasp, Kim's eyes shot open, never releasing her grip on Ron's shirt. Ron placed his hands on either side of Kim's shoulders and held her tightly while she slowly came to.

"Kim," he called to her once her breathing became paced, "W-where you having a nightmare?"

There was a pause before she responded, "The Nightmare…"

"W-what?" Ron asked, he made sure his palms were firmly clamped to Kim's arms. "KP, c'mon. Snap out of it! You're awake, kay?"

Kim frowned and her eyes darted up into Ron's. His reflected both anxiety and confusion for some odd reason, it solaced her and a smile began to drift across her face. Yes, this was her Ron. Not… not… No, _this_ one was. Her silly, worrisome Ron.

So Kim yawned. "Thank-you for waking me," and she reached out with her arms to wrap them around Ron's neck to bring him close into a loving hug.

With her head buried by his, she heard him chuckle. "Hey, if this is how you react form nightmares then I'm all for them!"

"Thanks a lot!" Kim replied haughtily in jest.

Pulling away as Ron leered overtop, she placed a gentle palm upon his chest just above his undershirt. Lightly, she skimmed her hand across his faintly pale white skin. She heard a small gasp emit from his mouth but he held his ground. Just being able to feel him, here right in front of her eased her away from the fears of The Nightmare. A silence drifted between the two of them, one Kim found herself most comfortable in, that is, until Ron asked:

"What was it about?"

"Ah?" Kim was caught off guard by this question and withdrew her hand from him as if he had just burned her.

"Your nightmare," he whispered softly. "What was it about?"

"I-it was…" she found herself speechless. Then she looked up into his eyes once more only to recoil with just how severe the concern was that overflowed in his eyes. It was if… as if maybe… as if maybe he knew…

But he didn't and he _wouldn't_.

Kim cast her eyes and murmured with contempt, "It was about us being separated. That's all."

"Oh," he replied rather quietly. "Oh." Then, "About us… about, like, y'know?"

"Yea."

Now it's was Ron's turn to dart his eyes away. Underneath, Kim did not move a muscle, nor did her eyes once remove from the shadow of a bush cast upon the tent in her line of vision. As the silence pressed on, Kim felt herself feeling increasingly guilty— she wished Ron would say something first. What was there for her to say?

Although Ron continued to remain silent, he laid himself down next to Kim, faced her, and lightly began to brush his fingers against her cheek that was turned from him. Abruptly Kim became confused and she shuffled herself around in the tent to face Ron.

For a few moments, she only stared; trying to gather some sense from Ron's reaction. But his touch was so soft that Kim found herself leaning into it.

"Aren't you mad at me?" she asked.

"Well, yea, kinda," Ron admitted and Kim felt a small flutter of fear begin to rise within her. After all, she _had_ been in his mind when he had been fuelled with never before seen rage. "But you had a nightmare."

"So?"

"So it bothers you too."

"No duh…"

"Kim," he whispered and moved closer and although she scolded herself for it, Kim could not stop herself from tensing up.

Ron's voice became that of not even a whisper. It was so silent and just on the very verge of his breath that he said: "Why don't we just leave?"

Kim's eyes fluttered wide open in shock. "Leave?" Now she really was confused, "Leave the mission? Leave Will Du?" A haughty remark issued from her throat, "I _don't_ think so, that glory-loving—"

And for once, Ron did not react in laughter. Instead, his voice continued to remain low and serious. It held Kim's attention captive. "I mean after the mission. Why don't we just go somewhere? Just the two of us? And do whatever we want."

Now Kim really did fall silent. Currently her hands were cupped beneath her chin as she lay on her side. Now they wanted to clasp her heart. It jolted slightly when a particularly large raindrop struck the plastic cover above them; Ron didn't even blink.

"But… I don't… that's…" And Kim leaned closer to Ron, even casting a glance over her shoulder as if she understood that their conversation was not even for the shadows to hear. Leaning forward, she almost stated pleadingly, "Isn't that a little irresponsible?" When Ron did not respond, she continued, "We have lives, Ron. We have University and our family and friends and… and…"

But the look in Ron's eyes told her that none of these things were important to him— and most certainly not as important as the girl lying in front of him.

"It's our lives," he replied, his voice was always quiet. "We have so much that others don't, KP. We can go anywhere at the drop of a hat. We can leave whatever we want behind… I think… I think it'd be good for us."

"Good for us?"

"Sure. Like… no other distractions. And we can do missions too," he added this almost hurriedly, "But instead of going home, we can linger as long as we like. Hop somewhere new on the globe… We can just… like, just… focus on us."

Kim was aware of her eyelashes fluttering in her nervous reaction.

"It can be like last night in the tent whenever we like," he continued, "Only without Will Du and I think you'd like that."

Was that supposed to be a joke? He didn't say it like it was but perhaps it was supposed to make Kim laugh. Only it didn't. She was struck too hard by Ron's sudden proposal.

For it was an interesting proposal. In Kim's mind: No, she couldn't do such a thing. There was life, life kept moving on no matter what detours you took. This she knew well. But at the same time… As much as she enjoyed her life at the sorority and her education at University there was the whole world at their fingertips—as Ron had said, it was not something everyone had. What was stopping them from taking it and being on their own if it was what they wanted, right? Anywhere with _just_ Ron… (well, Rufus too!)

But what of her parents? They would be so worried! And… and even disappointed… and not just because they were helping her pay her way through University either. She was the straight-A student, always on the principal's honour role, valedictorian and a cheerleader. And _head_ cheerleader next year too! How could she leave _that_ behind?

To leave that all behind to be with Ron with no other distractions…. To just be 'us' and nothing else… Kim enjoyed missions like this, when they were able to spend lone time together. It was something she indeed looked forwards to.

But at the same time, what would it accomplish? Would it cure Ron? She didn't know; she didn't understand.

No, she came to the conclusion. This wasn't the right answer. Kim Possible did not leave her responsibilities behind. Kim Possible: she could do anything, after all.

"Ron," she finally spoke, just as gently as he. "You know that isn't the answer."

Was it just her or did the corner of Ron's mouth twitch as if to grimace?

"Ron… I love you so much but… but not yet. Maybe when we're finished University. We already have times like this on missions as it is. We should be thankful for that. I gave up too much to— …"

"To what?" Ron muttered.

"To be where I am now."

"Like what?"

"Like having to suffer with Lonnie as head cheerleader," she wanted to flourish this with a comical smirk but for some odd reason, her mouth refused.

"Oh, okay."

"Still angry?"

"Oh, yea, for sure. I'll be angry for awhile," he shrugged. "I'll probably be loathing when I'm in that cell of a room."

"Ron…"

To her surprise, he leaned forwards and kissed her on the lips. Certainly not the reaction she had been expecting from him after _that_ remark!

Once he pulled away, Kim couldn't help but splutter, "Is it, like, Opposite Day to-day or something?"

"No," Ron replied simply, "I'm just gonna miss you just like in your nightmare while we're apart." Then he kissed her once again. "So we should take what we can now, right?"

Kim wrapped her arms around Ron's bare neck and shoulder to hug him closely. "I'd rather you take what you can and _not_ hate me though."

"I don't hate you. I said _angry_. C'mon, KP, feel up a thesaurus? Two different definitions here."

At this, Kim couldn't stifle a couple of laughs. "Okay, then _must_ you be _angry_ with me?"

"Well… I suppose I could just put it on hold for a bit. Until the day comes that I have to go anyway."

Kim let out a sigh. "I suppose that's the best I'm going to get."

"No, but you might get something better than this," and Ron leaned in to kiss her gently upon the lips once more.

She felt his arms slipping around her waist and rolling on top of her. He snuggled close and they continued to kiss one another repetitively on the lips as if they knew for certain this would be the last time in a long while that they would be able taste one another's love.

Tenderly, Kim placed curved fingertips by Ron's cheek, the cheek where she had once struck him so many years ago. This she would always remember, so she began to stroke that spot over his freckles. At her touch, she felt him respond, whether because he too remembered in that moment or just because he found it so pleasing, he rose himself higher atop of her and his kisses became, not more passionate, but far more dire; in a way that he was suddenly desperate to appeal to her in such a way.

No… was that… no. It was!

Indeed, Kim did feel a soft, single, wet tear press itself against her cheek from Ron's.

Yes, he _did_ remember. And although he forgave her for that act and the many others and expressed how much he loved her despite her faults, it still injured him and added even more to the pain of him having to leave her.

But it was for the sake of himself. For Kim could quite possibly lose Ron forever. And then where would she be? Certainly not… certainly not stroking his cheek as they kissed on another in each other's arms in a tent removed from any sort of civilization within the Amazon.

Kim felt a few more tears transfer from Ron's cheeks to her own and the surge of his emotions effected her own, as if she too desired to cry.

_How silly we are,_ a practical side of her mind told herself. _It's kind of stupid just how… just how much we need to be with each, to be close almost all the time. It's almost… No, it's not something negative but it sure does tug on the heart a lot. _

It was just that thought that forced Kim to tighten her arms around Ron's neck to bring him yet even further. She found herself as well becoming more dire in her kisses as if Ron was about to leave her right then and this was their final time together. And it was just then that Kim felt a tear of her own surface from her eye when…

"Hey. Wake up." Then the sound of a hand slapping the tent outside instantly caused Kim and Ron to pull away and Ron, still over Kim, cast his head behind him where the voice was coming from.

Will Du was relentless: "Time to wake up the both of you. We need to have some breakfast if we want to foil Drakken's evil plot to-day." Then came the sound of his footsteps padding away.

"Tchach," Kim snorted, one arm still hanging around Ron's neck. "_I've_ foiled Drakken's Evil Plans _before_ breakfast many times."

"And sometimes through breakfast," Ron added pitifully.

"Lunch too!" Rufus added, popping out of Kim's belt pouch that she had placed by their pillows the prior night.

Kim laughed while wrapping the other arm back around Ron's neck. "We'll need to dress fast if you want to have breakfast before our mission." And she paused a moment to hear the sounds of Will Du rummaging around as he was surely preparing a meal. Ron heard the sounds too and whimpered.

"A great dilemma, huh?" Kim teased him so by tugging him even closer.

Ron allowed himself to lean nearer but his eyes were still in the direction of the tent flap. "I'm hungry," he complained.

Kim sighed and released Ron and in doing so stretched her arms high above her head accompanied by a yawn.

"Oh, go ahead," Kim covered her mouth with a palm. "Go get your breakfast before Will Du tries to leave without us. (I wouldn't put it past him…)"

Eagerly with a large grin plastered on his face, Ron struggled to slip himself out of their sleeping bags bypassing Kim right in front of her face (she grunted with mock disgust).

"Coolness! Thanks, KP!"

"No big."

Tongue sticking out, he shuffled around and yanked his clothing down from the rack where their clothing had dried over night.

"How are they?" she inquired more out of conversation than actual curiosity.

"All dry!" Ron reported enthusiastically; he began to change into his mission wear. "You gonna lay there all day or are you gonna help me bust out some justice?"

" 'Help you'?" Kim repeated absent-mindedly as she found herself stretching once more.

"Everyone knows I'm the real hero. You're just a cover so the villains think they're after you while I deal the _real_ danger!" And Ron busted out some action poses in mid-dress. "How's about _that_ move!" –Ron leapt over Kim from one side of the sleeping bag to the other and flailed about his arms in what Kim assumed was supposed to be a threatening move.

"Hey!" Kim jokingly snapped and slapped her palm against the material of the sleeping bag and admonished fiercely: "No Monkey Business allowed in this tent!"

At that instant they heard a faltering and sudden crash in the pots and pans Will Du was working with from outside.

"Ahahaha!!" Ron flopped himself down backwards onto the sleeping bag, resting his head where Kim's legs were underneath. "You sure got him good with _that_ line!"

Kim was too busy blushing with a palm clamped around her mouth. This time she attempted to aim for Ron when she smacked her hands against the sleeping bag—fortunately for Ron he was too far away for her reach.

"That's not what I meant!" she let out hotly.

"And I'm sure Will Du will take it that way," he replied playfully. Hauling himself up, Ron began to crawl nearer to Kim. Kim gave him one rueful eye of caution before casting her head away, arm over her eyes.

But Ron was never one to heed caution, or rather, was usually too empty-headed to notice caution.

"Hey," he said, his voice dropping lower and this ventured one eye of curiosity from Kim. "Maybe on our return camp out we can enact some _real_ monkey business." And her purred enticingly now leaning close to her as if to give her cheek a lick.

As he tempted her, Kim was still eyeing Ron with that one eye from underneath her arm; it was hard to judge her opinion until:

"I don't want your face," she stated, smooshing his face and lips as she pushed him away. He grunted. "I want my clothes." And she heaved Ron off as if he were a dog that had prolonged his stay on the bed.

Indignant, Ron clambered to his feet and reached for Kim's cloths from the rack. Below, Kim let out a sigh, now sitting up in the sleeping bag. She stretched out a hand and spoke to Ron, looking in the other direction.

"Hand me my clothes."

There was a pause.

Kim's head whipped to Ron and her eyes narrowed. She squinted at him and yet no matter how hard she squinted, that catish smirk across Ron's face was indeed there and not a figment of an imagination.

"You'll have to catch 'em first."

Kim's jaw dropped and her face exploded in blush.

-ø-

After a particular unforeseen event in the tent that had bypassed more time than Kim and Ron had known, there was very little time for Breakfast as Will Du had decided _not_ to wait for the two crimefighters and proceed to pack up camp, including Breakfast much to Ron's displeasure.

_At least I was able to slip that bowl of porridge away from his grasp and slurp sommaf it down before he noticed it was missing_, Ron thought adamantly to himself. His chest surged with a small sense of pride in that small , at least Ron Stoppable had consumed his Breakfast.

Which was more than what poor Kim had; which was nothing. Ron cast a pitiful eye in her direction. Poor Kim neglected that in their game of _rock, paper, scissors_ last night, while the loser had to pitch the tent… it was the _other's_ turn to take it back down! And Will and already packed away Breakfast with his pack on waiting for Kim a full five minutes before she had finished.

It wasn't a great start to their day.

But while Will Du had marched ahead with Kim and Ron following behind, Ron had managed to catch Kim by her arm and put a little more distance between them and Will allowing him to whisper to her alone.

Again he had stressed to her to _please_ stay calm and level-headed. She was better than him— she shouldn't lose herself in a fit! It would only fuel Will Du's pompous attitude after all. Ron had managed to swerve in a soft, submissive attitude which Kim levelled to and Ron felt he had genuinely reached her this time. Before releasing her to catch up with Will Du, he had given her a small kiss on her cheek. She had smiled so endearingly at him for that.

But that was hours ago, hopefully that kiss of his hadn't worn off.

"There it is," Will Du informed, lowering his handheld device and pointing at a large building barely visible through the trees.

"Yea, I can see it for myself, thanks," was Kim's response. But it came out more like a sigh than a snap.

"So what's our plan?" Ron asked openly. He edged closer to Kim and eyed the building barely visible. How had Drakken managed to build that right here in the middle of nowhere?

"Well," Kim gave another sigh and pocketed the Kimmunicator, "What do we usually do? Find a way to sneak in and pull the plug on the scheme." Then she abruptly turned to face Will, "Or do you have another idea?"

Was it just Ron or did Will's tiny eyes actually flinch? There was a brief pause, one that Kim didn't take notice of, but Ron did. Finally Will nodded, "It sounds like our best plan."

Kim nodded agreeably, "Alright. Glad we could agree on something there."

No, it wasn't just Ron—Will's mouth twitched into what could've been a smile.

-ø-

"Well," Ron breathed as he marvelled at the inside of Drakken's temple lair. "I'm glad it's not flashbackin' me to that other temple. Certainly is different."

Kim made no response to that.

"We have to be on the look-out," Will acknowledged, "There could be henchmen patrolling the halls. Be on guard for security cameras too." He stalked off, his shoulders tensed and his eyes overly focused.

Kim swerved her head to Ron next to herself and sent him a quirky grin. "Since when did Drakken have the budget for security cameras?"

Ron snickered.

As Kim and Ron followed together after Will in the silence Will insisted upon, Ron took to swinging his head from side to side as he visually explored their surroundings. The floors were tiled and the walls were intensely dark. There was just enough visibility within as to not require a flashlight but Ron felt inside himself that if he had one, it might pump up that courage bar of his just a slight.

Looking once more at the walls, Ron couldn't make sense of the pattern, it rather boggled his mind. A deep, rich brown, it appeared glossy with some kind of texture and streaks of lighter brown slicing through. Ron nearly paused to take an inquisitive closer inspection but Kim ushered him along, eager for him to stay at her side. Now was that for his comfort or hers?

"Is it just me," Kim finally spoke out in a quiet voice, "Or are we inclining?"

"How do you mean?" Will asked curtly, barely turning his head in his walk to hear better.

"I mean…" Kim halted and looked down at the path they had come. "Yea, I'm right. We're going up a ramp."

"And around," Ron added, eyeing the walls and making a circular motion with a finger.

Kim's eyes darted to those as well and agreed with him. "We're spiralling upwards… w-we're going up… and around…"

"Yes? So?" Will turned around to face the duo, his brow knotted. It wasn't frustration, but Ron was pretty sure it wasn't concern either. "We're going to the top of Drakken's lair then. How is that of any concern?"

_Yea,_ Ron contemplated this as well. He made a slight movement towards Kim, she shuddered slightly and Ron frowned at this reaction. Slowly, he dipped his head and peered at her intensely. Something was troubling her. And yet Ron wasn't feeling the odd vibes—well other than the _usual_ 'we're in the villains lair' vibes that is.

"KP?"

Kim's head snapped up and she stared at Ron. Her eyes were nearly glazed and her chest surged slightly. Ron's consternation increased. He slid a look at Will who was still standing and staring at the both of them from a respectful distance.

"Kimbo," Ron lowered his voice. "You hot for this or not?"

"Yea, I'm good," Kim's voice was coming back… and yet…

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"You suspect something?"

"No."

"You're feeling something."

"Something."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Ron raised a single eyebrow at her.

"Nothing important," Kim amended. "Let's just keep going."

"Are you sure you'll be fit to fight the villains?" was Will's call.

"Of course," Kim sounded aggravated by this.

With that, Will turned his back and without another word, progressed upwards. Just before Kim trekked after Will once more, she faced Ron.

"Thanks."

Ron shrugged. He was right about to follow after Kim, his mind about to delve in wonderings of what could have sparked such a reaction out of Kim when… Wait!

From the corner of his eye? Wait… what!?

Ron faced the wall abruptly. He stared at it. For several seconds.

Had the wall… did it just _move?_ One of the brown streaks on the wall, did it just _move_?

Ron wet his lips and stepped forwards, reaching out, he sucked in his breath and bravely reached out. Gingerly, Ron placed then pressed his palms against the wall and gave a small gasp of shock. He knocked on it.

"Ron?" Kim asked; both she and Will turned around again. "What's the sitch?"

"I didn't notice it at first cos it was so dark," Ron spoke, not taking his eyes off the wall. "But the wall is made of glass."

"Oh? Really? So?" Kim stepped forwards and knocked on the glass wall as well. "So it is."

Ron heard a grunt of exasperation from Will.

"And dirt is on the other side," Ron added.

"Dirt?" Kim asked.

"And roots."

"Roots? Tree roots?"

"I guess."

Another final sigh from Will Du. "This is all very informative but it is _not_ going to help us with our mission. Now we are wasting _precious_ time. I… we could have defeated Drakken already—"

"Dude." Will stopped talking as Ron made a discovery. "The roots moved."

"What!?" Both Kim and Will exclaimed.

Ron nodded grimly. "I saw it move… KP. Roots don't move."

Kim became slightly apprehensive. "Ron… it seriously just has to be your imagination. You said it yourself: roots don't move."

"But Kim—"

"It was probably just the lighting on the glass when you went to step forwards, that's all. Gave you the illusion that it moved. Will's right, y'know, we need to keep moving."

Ron's mouth parted slightly and Kim rested a hand on his shoulder. She gave it a brief squeeze, a smile, then continued with Will up the ramp once more. Downcast, Ron looked once more to the roots behind the window.

It had _not_ been his imagination, the pit of his stomach told him grimly. And roots were not _supposed_ to move.

But he was now forced into silence and he knew now he should hold his tongue. His mood becoming dark as the dirt behind the glass, Ron stalked quietly after Kim— feeling rather shunned as well. It wasn't that Kim was really taking Will's side over his… Kim would _never_ do that but… Well, if the roots really did move, Kim would find out eventually. There wasn't much they could do now anyway, other than be on their guard.

And Ron's guard was highly more attentive than before. As they progressed their way spiralling upwards, Ron continually kept a steady eye on the dirt and roots on the other side of the glass, but only out of the corner of his eyes. Not that the roots had eyes, but he felt as if it knew he was watching they wouldn't move. (Not that Ron exactly _wanted_ them to move…)

Wetting his lips, Ron finally looked upwards when they began to near a platform—finally reaching the top of the spiral. There was an open doorway and both Kim and Will peered inside first, Ron looking in over Kim's shoulder.

Inside was a conservatory, it only made sense what with all the dirt behind the glass they had just walked up. Ron inclined his head as he surveyed the room. Already he could feel the adjusted temperature warm him and he knew that all the plants inside were exotic and adjusted to the Amazonian climate. Plants of green, red, shades of pink and blue and yellow flourished the room that Ron could not as of yet see an end to. There were huge trees inside that stretched tall and at the angle he was at outside the room, Ron could see that at the very top was not a ceiling, but glass—the conservatory was encased within a giant glass dome.

"Drakken's control panel should be in a room on the other side," Will surmised. His expression was unreadable and looked unaffected by the change of scenery.

Kim only shrugged—and was it just Ron or did she appear slightly relieved for some reason? He wasn't able to double check for she shook whatever expression she had quickly. "I wonder what Drakken's doing with these plants?"

"Maybe he's decided to take up the joys of gardening?"

Kim shot Ron a look.

"What? I can hear it can be a very relaxing recreational activity. Maybe he has arthritis. You gotta admit Kim," and he nodding knowingly as if he was soothing Kim of a horrid thought, "The blue guy is getting a little 'oooolllld'."

"Tchach," Kim rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "I will _rejoice_ in the day that Drakken is finally confined to a wheelchair."

"Somehow I don't think that'd stop him," Ron added.

"And neither will standing here chit-chatting," Will interrupted and it was _both_ Ron _and_ Kim that shot him a devilish look. "Come on." And surprising even themselves, both Kim and Ron gave a shocked expression as Will carelessly marched into the conservatory.

Exchanging looks, Kim shrugged at Ron and motioned for him to follow her. Moaning inwardly, Ron gave one last longing look down the steep spiral they had climbed. It sure was a long hike… the depth underneath the conservatory sure did go down… And, Ron glanced at the trees inside, could even those tree roots actually stretch _that_ far down..?

Hunching, Ron scuttled in after Kim and it was at that moment Ron knew, as always, his intuition had been correct.

All three whipped around when a loud electronic beep sounded out and the doorway shut behind them in a fast clamp. A red light above the doorway blasted open like an awakening, evil eye.

"Aw darnit," Ron muttered under his breath.

"It's a trap!"

"Gee, you think?" Kim shot back.

"Aaaahahahahaaaaaaaa…" Came a teasingly, gloating voice from all around.

At the sound of his voice, Ron's head snapped upwards as did Will's and Kim's. The voice belonged to a man that neither Kim nor Ron had heard in a long, long time. If only it could have stayed that way. From the speakers located in points all around the top of the dome, Kim, Ron and Will could all hear the formidable voice of Dr Drakken cackling then to boom into a triumphant guffaw.

"I hate it when he gloats," Ron whined.

"It usually takes awhile," Kim added sounding quite bored. She crossed her arms, relaxed herself and stood with her weight to one side. "Are you quite done?" she shouted out to Drakken.

Will Du was still tensed and in a ready-to-react stance. His eyes squinted and darted around constantly as if ready to attack some random thing of his imagination the could sprout out from behind that leaf.

"You don't have to be like that," Kim told Will. "It's just Drakken." Will relaxed and Ron smirked to himself.

"Aahaha-ha… ha… ha-what!? '_Just_ Drakken'!" Dr Drakken had stopped laughing and was now affronted. "What's _that_ supposed to mean!"

"It means you're laughing like an idiot again." And this new voice coming from the loud speakers was a dry and unemotive one. Of course, it was Shego, Dr Drakken's henchwoman speaking from somewhere in the background on Drakken's side. "Do you mean to tell me you actually caught the prom queen?"

"Shego, you sound surprised." Kim arched her eyebrows as Drakken continued on as if he hadn't just actually gotten one up on his arch-foe. "Did I _not_ tell you my plan was utter brilliance? Such utter brilliance that it couldn't possibly fail—so—"

"Yeah, yea you kinda did a few times," Shego interrupted. "For the past, what? Over a month you've been going on and on about this new plan of yours and how it's just soooooo much better than all your past ones and how you're going to—"

"AH-AH-AH!" Drakken cut off frantically, "Now Shego, the microphone is _on_. See? See the little red light right there? That… that means it's _on_."

"I know, I was the one who read you the instruction manual."

There was a pause.

"Yes…" Drakken sounded utterly wounded, "Yes but I put it together…"

"If by 'put it together' you mean played with the bubble wrap while I set up the entire mechanisim then yea, yea you really, really did help a lot. Argh… ah… y-you… you didn't even pay for it!"

"I had my wallet out!"

"But it was empty and you made ME pay for it AND stand in line while you chocked on bubble tea on a bench and _furthermore _you made Henchman Number Four and myself stand in the _customer service line_ which is always longer than the cashier lines because _somebody_ had to make a payment on their Smarty-Mart bonus card except they only realised they had no money WHEN THEY GOT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AN HOUR LATER."

"I said I'd pay you back!"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY I.O.U. SLIPS I HAVE IN MY WALLET FROM YOU?"

Kim pursed her lips, Ron coughed into his fist and Will stood utterly blank-faced.

"Uhhh…" Kim took the opportunity of Shego seething with anger to speak out. "Think you might wanna deal with us right now?"

"This is no way to treat your guests," Ron nodded.

There was another pause.

"Ah, yes. My _guests_," Drakken coughed a few times as if regaining his authority. "My guests, I've given you some time to stroll around my conservatory," (Kim and Ron rolled their eyes; Will looked around as if seeing it for the first time,) "How do you enjoy it?"

"You could go a little more on the pinks in that corner over there," Ron suggested.

"Which corner?"

"That one."

"Which?"

"Dude, I'm pointing: that one."

"Uh 'dude', I can't _see_!"

"Well the right corner then."

"Ron," Kim groaned, "There are no corners in a dome. A dome is sphere."

Drakken growled, "Stop distracting me! You can't try to distract me to escape, my conservatory is unbreakable! You see… in here, I've been tenderly caring—"

"And by 'tenderly' he actually means tenderly," Shego put in. "Trust me. It's scary."

Kim and Ron sucked their lips.

"Uhhh… Shego. Why don't you go and deal with that thing over _there_?" A pause then a small yelp from Drakken as they heard the sound of footsteps stalking away. Drakken muttered to himself then directed his attention once again to Kim and Ron.

"Where was I? Oh yes, you see… I've been growing something in my new conservatory, something the world will soon be acquainted with as it's soon grown enough to have its coming out party! And lucky you will be its first…"

"Guests? Friends?" Ron supplied meekly.

"No!" Drakken bellowed laughter: "_SNACK!_"

"I think I'm going to cry now," Ron whimpered.

Suddenly the light altered from within the dome and a rumbling sound shook the glass and the hearts of Kim, Ron and Will as well. The ground beneath them began to shake and the leaves of the plants and trees trembled as if they too were afraid of what was coming. The shaking inclined and Ron gasped, stumbling closer to Kim.

"S-something's happening!" he cried out and Kim shot upwards, standing and recoiling when their attention was then directed to something trembling that had been in front of them the entire time.

It was a giant… superlatively tall flower bud.

Everyone's jaw dropped.

Just shy of the tallest trees within the dome a giant flower that had been standing quietly, innocently and so camouflaged now began to… to move. At first the vines on the ground and hanging from the nearby trees began to quiver, petals as well, all revealed to belong to the flower, but then they began to wiggle… to wiggle and… lift… They rose up into the air and twirled about, the plant testing all that belonged to it.

It was so terrifying of a sight to behold, so unlike that of which Kim and Ron had ever seen. Its massive shadow engulfed the three tiny humans beneath it and it lolled its head from side to side while swimming its vines, leaves and roots it used as feet around as it greedily explored the air around it and anticipated its dinner.

Its head was not a giant flower bud for long as it then… blossomed! Unfurling itself to feature a mash-up of colours the likes of reds, pinks, greens, yellows and perhaps some blue flecks. The flower petals were layered, rows of petals thicker than any kind of canvas. Perhaps it could have looked even beautiful despite its moving multi-appendages if it were not for…

The giant plant had unfolded it's mighty winged petals to reveal right in the centre, a deep black pit with rows and rows of spiralling, heart-puncturing teeth—each one pure white and glittering with an eager drive to feed.

A small sound gave way within Ron's vocal cords.

"Déjà vu," he moaned pitifully.

"I did _not_ see that coming." Will sounded as stunned as he ever could even Kim was speechless and frozen.

The only sound that broke the silence of the plant furling and extending its foliage was the sudden burst of Dr Drakken's laughter.

"Now, Kim Possible!" his voice crowed from the loud speakers overhead. "Get a load of _this_! Ha! Haha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

"We need a plan and we need one fast," Will urgently whispered to Kim.

"Ya think?" Kim shot back sarcastically.

"Uh, uh, uh, personally," Ron gulped, "My vote is for _run_."

And even though both Kim and Will desired to agree with Ron, all three of them found themselves inexplicably rooted, no pun intended, to the spot as they gapped up at the glamorously enormous plant.

Rearing its head back, its roots above the ground extended further and its vines began to explore rapidly through the air and towards Kim, Ron and Will. Stretching its petals wider as it took in the direct sunlight sheering through the dome glass from above, it leered forwards as if beginning to sniff out its prey. Its teeth quivered with anticipation and began to twirl in short bursts within its mouth.

"Kiiiiiim," Ron wailed, backing up as far as he could. Ron's back smacked into the edge of the glass dome. Will ran back as well, Kim soon followed, lifting up an arm as if to bar the plant from Ron.

"So, got any plans?" Kim asked Will, Ron was unsure if this was a shot or not.

"Well…" Will's voice actually cracked. "It seems to me… that…"

But whether or not Will actually had a plan attached to that sentence, Kim and Ron were never able to find out for Global Justice's Number One Agent was cut off when at that moment the plant began to pull itself forwards by it's thick dirt-ladden roots.

Ron's jaw dropped. "Can it _do_ that?!" he cried, now filling up with panic, "I don't think it's allowed to do that!!"

"And yet, I don't think we have a say in the matter," Kim's voice quavered as she too eyed those whirling teeth exciting for flesh to shred.

_Oh man,_ she thought_, the blood that could fly from that… it'd be worse than a Grade A Horror flick!_

Then without warning, the plant pulled its 'head' back then thrust it forwards and with a small _pouf!_ a yellow powder burst throughout the air from its mouth.

"Yeck!" Ron cried and tried to plaster himself against the glass behind him as the thick powder began to spread throughout the air and settle on the plants and on Kim, Ron and Will.

Kim coughed and waved a hand to clear the air. "Augh… w-what is this?"

"Some sort of pollen!" Will informed.

"No duh," Kim snapped, "I mean…" she coughed again, "It might have some kind of… of properties."

"Like?" Ron's voice rose in pitch.

"Does anyone feel sleepy or… or paralysis?"

Will flexed his arms while Ron poked at his eyes and both confirmed a no.

Kim shook her head grimly. "I'm not liking this…" She tried to wipe it off her bare arms where the pollen clung to but scarping it off was proving to become a difficult task. Most of it was settled on the ground now.

"Where can we go?" Ron cried and he again began to swivel his head in his lame hopes that perhaps Drakken conveniently left the escape door wide open for them.

"That thing is as high as the roof!" Will exploded, "We can't climb any of the trees, it'd still be able to reach us!" And he pressed his back even further against the glass dome when the plant made more increments towards them while wavering its petaled head from side to side.

"Can it smell us?" Ron asked, swallowing hard.

"It doesn't have any eyes or nose that I can see…" Kim thought aloud.

Ron grabbed his mouth, "It'd be so sick if it did…"

"If it did, we might've been able to blind it in someway to slow it down," Kim added darkly.

"Come on," Will reached out and grabbed Kim around the wrist and yanked her to the side into the undergrowth. Ron dove after them as the three ran along the side of the glass dome. While Kim and Ron had been talking, the plant, although still pacing itself, had been gaining some speed and had been nearing them a little too close to comfort.

The instant that Will Du had latched on to Kim's wrist, she immediately had the instinct to recoil from his grasp and snap at him viciously for daring to touch her. Kim's eyes darted to Will's hand still clamped tightly around her wrist as they ran and felt a strange surge of adrenaline that she associated with…. Fright? She glanced behind herself at Ron following but he was far too occupied with being terrified of the giant plant as was his right to notice Kim or her reaction to Will's touch.

Her eyes were still focused on Ron when they began to meander to something behind him…

She let out a cry that drove all attentions to her.

"It's following us!"

Everyone stared in horror as the plant was indeed crawling steadily faster after them. Now walking wouldn't be enough to stay out of reach from this mutated beast.

"We can't run from this thing forever!" Ron cried, "I'll just keep following us!"

"How is it following us?" Will seethed, becoming increasingly frustrated. "It must be able to smell us somehow!"

Kim gasped, "The pollen! That's why it must have sprayed the pollen on us! It's… it's because we're moving it must be attracted to the pollen when it moves! It never chased after us before it sprayed the pollen."

"Wha—?" Ron was cut off when he tripped over a tree root and crashed into Kim, knocking both her and Will over.

Kim grunted as her head smashed into the glass.

"KP!" Ron cried, "I-I'm sorry, I—"

He made an attempt to scramble up and keep running when Kim reached out and grabbed him, pulling him down and tightly close.

"Kim!" he alarumed, his face completely baffled, "We… it's coming closer!!" he panted, "We've got to keep run—"

"No!" Will interrupted, understanding Kim's plan. "No, stay still and don't move! It might not be able to track us if we stay still. That's your plan, isn't it, Kimberly?"

Kim smiled a yes but Ron heaved a scandalised gasp.

"Shhh…" Kim leaned forwards and whispered into Ron's ear. He twitched nervously, as if he found her breath on his ear more irritating than soothing. Disgruntled herself as this _was_ kind of a life or death matter at hand, she firmly held fast onto Ron, gripping him close to her chest, her arms acting as a seatbelt.

"Alright…" Will breathed in as the plant neared, "Nobody move…"

The plant had been swaying from side to side as it now stalked towards them at a slower speed. It wavered at times, not sure where it was heading, but kept opting for heading straight. It was now a mere few feet from where Kim, Ron and Will sat frozen. Kim heard Ron give a small uncontrolled gag and at the small movement he made, the plant's head shot up and swivelled in their direction. Kim fastened her grip on Ron.

Creeping forwards cautiously, the plant lowered its head… lower, lower… now on level with Ron's face and inching all the more closer… At such a close range, Kim herself nearly felt the urge to faint. A potent air was wafting from the black hole that was the plant's mouth and a sticky, pussy saliva seethed through the needle-sharp teeth that gave small slow whirls.

_Oh goodness…_Kim thought, struggling with all her might not to gulp. The plant's face was now face to face with Ron and should he move… Oh goodness, should he move…

There was a gurgling sound coming from deep within the plant's mouth and then… then an upheaval of that pussy saliva gorged up and spilled through its teeth and all over Ron.

_DON'T MOVE_.

So far, Ron hadn't moved, not even his eyes removed themselves from the plants hideous mouth.

The plant let out another, long, satisfied sound, then swivelled its head in the other direction, following the scent of the pollen on some of the leaves. Surely… hunched over, it began to leave.

"Don't move yet," Will commanded. No-one did.

"Hard for you to say," Ron spoke slowly and grimly, his eyes now darted to the spill of saliva all over himself.

"We need to figure out what to do next."

"Well," Kim sighed, she moved her head slightly to the right as so she was able to see Will from the corner of her eyes. "We won't be able to do anything until we get this pollen off. I tried scrapping it off, it didn't work."

"H'mm," Will grimaced. "Unless we wait for the plant to wander over to the other side of the conservatory…"

"And then what?" Kim countered, "Run around like crazy?"

"Hey… The pollen came offa me."

"What?"

Ron sat up and Kim nearly heart attack, reaching out for him to pull him back down and hiss at him for moving. But before her arms could reach him, Ron stood up and stuck his tongue out in repulsion as he lifted a spit-laden arm. The saliva was both sticky and gooey and kept giving Ron reason to blanch.

"You're right!" Will cried optimistically, "The saliva must have cleaned it off!"

"Oh great, now why am I getting the feeling this doesn't equal as good as it sounds," Ron voiced.

"Because you're the one who can move and save us."

"Uh no."

"Uh _yes_," Kim retorted.

"But how?" Will supplied.

That left a silence between them in which they could hear the distant sounds of the plant shuffling around the conservatory searching for its pretty. It _had_ been there a moment ago, it knew… so where was it hiding..?

As Ron continued to blanch as he whipped the saliva off his body, both Kim and Ron gazed at their surroundings—searching for _something_ to help kill this beast or at least—escape!

"There, look!" Kim called the attentions of the two guys forwards and she dared to point upwards towards the roof of the dome. "Check it out! Sprinklers!"

"Yea, so?" Ron scowled, still preoccupied by ridding his person of plant-spit.

"So if you activate it, the water will clean _us_ of the pollen and then you don't have to go one on one versus your new girlfriend back there."

Ron shot Kim a dirty look.

"Already swapping spit on the first date," she mocked.

Ron scowled again, turning from Kim. He told her he was displeased with her taunting by turning face from her.

Kim rolled her eyes, "Ron, this is _so_ not the time to cop a 'tude, okay? Or would you rather hit home base with Audrey back there?"

Will arched an eyebrow, seemingly amused at the two's banter.

Ron shuffled around, "Yea, okay, sounds like a plan. Wuttamaye supposed to do?"

"Go all monkey crazy and climb the tallest trees so you can reach the sprinklers."

Ron eyed the sprinklers placed all around the dome and then the trees nearest them. "I dunno, KP, looks kinda difficult. You know that's not something I can just switch on 'n off."

"What is he talking about?" Will asked.

"His Mystical Monkey Powers," Kim briefly explained. She turned her attention back to Ron, "It's our only hope, Ron. If either Will or myself try to make a dash up there, we'll… well… Ron—you saw those teeth!"

"Yea, yea I sorta did," Ron's voice rose in pitch. His voice still remained anxious and eyes revealed his displeasure but Ron, in the end, realised he had no choice and was, after all, the best man for the job. "But how do I turn the sprinklers on?"

Kim already had an answer to this, "Go into my hip pocket," she told Ron. He bent down and reached inside. "Take my laser. If you grab some bark, torch it and it should create enough smoke to activate the sprinklers."

"Great plan," Will commended. Kim felt a small wave of gratitude wash over herself. But it was brief.

Ron twirled Kim's laser with his fingers, inspecting it through his glasses. He looked over the laser eyeing Kim, "And what if it _doesn't_ create enough smoke?"

"Find more bark," Kim replied dryly and Ron accepted this grimly.

A small rustling came from nearby and all three of them dared not move. Perking up her ears, Kim could hear the distant sounds of the murderous plant pushing its way through the conservatory's undergrowth as it relentlessly searched for them.

"It'll find us eventually," Will breathed.

"Ron, you've got to go turn on the sprinklers," Kim urged. The fact that she was not able to carry out this ability herself stirred restlessly inside and if Ron didn't skedaddle up the nearest tree, her fierce world-saving determination would do it in his stead. Already she could feel her legs begging to at _least_ twitch. Being inactive and hiding from being shredded to toothpick sized pieces was no excuse for sitting on her bottom, it told her!

But Ron returned Kim with an eager nod and a surge of faith thumped within Kim's heart.

"I'm on it," he confirmed then scuttled over to the nearest tall tree.

Slipping the laser in his own pant pocket, Ron tested the bark on the tree then looked up at its height. He was too slow for Kim's mind and she had to bite her own tongue to herself from moving. That leaf-crunching sound always constant in the background was a reminder that the plant was still close enough to snap her and Will up if they foolishly decided to act on a moment of attempted bravery.

But before Kim thought she couldn't control herself any longer, Ron reached up, his gloved fingers digging themselves into the bark and hauled himself off his feet. Rufus poked his head out of Ron's pocket and looked up where Ron was headed.

"He's climbing it bare," Will observed, seemingly impressed. A smug smile crept across Kim's face.

But it vanished as a gasp escaped Kim's mouth. No wonder the plant kept stalking in Kim and Will's general area and hadn't meandered over to the other side of the conservatory! It wasn't because it knew it had lost them in this area—after all, it had no eyes! No! A small amount of pollen was… stuck on Rufus!!

Kim very nearly whipped her head around to face the nearing plant but Will sucked in his breath loudly, forcing her into silence. Could she move her mouth? Could she cry out to Ron?! He didn't know the plant was coming near him!

And then… the plant pushed its grotesque head through two trees and into Kim's view. Its head bobbed up and down slowly, rhythmically swishing its petalled framed mouth of daggered teeth from side to side… it was taking in the pollen scent. Ron was moving… but slowly and the plant was homing in on his exact location.

Kim's heart was thundering against her ribcage, insane with rage that she wasn't able to call warning to Ron! Cursing to herself, Kim fumed and decided she didn't care, that she would distract the plant and run in the opposite direction when the plant whirled its eager teeth and then…

_POUFF!_

"NO!"

"Kim! A-ergh!"

"Wha..?"

A plume of freshly scented pollen plumed into the air from the plant's mouth and wafted into Ron directly.

He froze.

So did Kim and Will.

But the plant didn't.

Rearing its face, as tall as it could stretch, the plant almost groaned as it stretched out its roots that it used to move around and with a surge of thrill, the plant sped forwards. Its head swung about wildly, uncontrolled and in a brief moment of terror, the plant's face swung so close to Kim's that its teeth were inches from Kim's own nose where some of its spit landed. It lasted a second but it was enough of a premonition of Ron's soon-to-be-fate.

"HURRY!" Kim screamed out to Ron.

At Kim's jerk forward in her cry to Ron, the plant wavered allowing Ron just the second of time he needed to avoid becoming fertiliser.

As soon as Ron had seen the plant dashing over to him, he hadn't need telling twice. The Mystical Monkey Power that normally lay dormant within Ron, actually heard his plea for help and aided Ron in an instant race up the tree. Ron tore up the tree so fast that pieces of bark flew into the air, piercing holes and slicing rips in the plant's leaves. It reared back and let out the most haunting shriek unlike any other sound Kim had ever heard in her entire life.

The plant tipped forwards, smashing its head into the tree Ron was flying up, shaking it and Kim could have sworn that it would have sent Ron through the air all the way to the other side of the conservatory but, miraculously, Ron's monkey-ability granted him power to cling fast to a branch and although it shook violently, he did not remove himself.

The planted shrieked a few more times, causing both Kim and Will to wince, it was at such a high pitch that surely Kim's eardrums could've burst!

The plant stopped shrieking and shaking the tree and Ron allowed this freedom to continue his way up the tree and towards a sprinkler although it was his movements once again that sent the plant into another fit and into another plan of action.

"What the…" Will gasped when the ground beneath them began to rumble. "An earthquake?!" he cried incredulously.

"N-no!" Kim called back.

The plant was too preoccupied by the strongest scent of its newly sprayed pollen on Ron to take notice of Kim and Will's movements. They even tumbled over, clashing their heads as they fell into one another as the ground continued to reverberate.

"Look!" Kim clutched her head and pointed to the base of the plant and Will uttered an extreme curse.

The rumbling sound came from the plants deep roots buried beneath the pillar of dirt as it inched its thick stalk-body upwards… upwards like an elevator allowing itself the height it needed to reach for Ron.

"Hurry!!" Kim again screamed to Ron. She had to help him!

Ron's gloves were torn, his hands were bloody and it was in these bloodied and torn hands that he clutched both Kim's laser and a thick piece of bark. At Kim's call, Ron's eyes flashed downwards at the plant. For some odd reason, Kim flinched to see Ron's eyes still somewhat possessed by his Mystical Monkey Power.

"You can do it!" she called to him.

"Faster!" Will added, his voice terse. Whether he actually cared or that he was just caught up in the moment, no-one knew.

Ron gritted his teeth. Splinters sticking out of his lip and caught within his teeth, Ron fiercely switched on the laser to one of its lower settings and pressed it close to the bark right beneath the sprinkler.

Almost immediately a small plume of smoke drifted right into the sprinkler. But it wasn't enough! Kim caught Ron letting out a chocking gasp of fright as the plant continued to stretch itself higher and higher, its vines were waving with excitement and its teeth began to whirl as if it could already taste Ron's blood dripping between its fangs…

The plant stumbled as a smaller root gave out and Kim almost cried a thanks— but the plant recovered instantaneously as another smaller root shot out of the ground to stabilise itself.

Meanwhile, Ron was continuing to burn the bark, the smoke thickness all the while increasing. His teeth began to chatter and his grip on the laser was slipping as his sweat made it harder to grip onto the device. Kim's eyes fluttered, wanting to close and yet unable to as surely by now Ron could hear the whirling if the plants teeth right beneath him…

_FIZZ-WHIZZ-WHIZZ FIZZ!_

And it was at that moment that a burst of water shot out in all directions. Not just the one sprinkler either, but _all_ the sprinklers burst open and began to _fizz-whizz-whizz fizz_ the conservatory in water. As soon as the dense rain of water splashed down on Kim, she was up in a shot towards Ron only…

Only it was too late.

The instant the water burst into action, a thick bullet of water shot Ron squarely in the eye, rendering him momentarily blind causing him to stumble back off his branch. The pollen, although running right off his body being the most wet in the front, did not clean his back where the plume of pollen had attached itself to Ron. As Ron fell back off his branch, the plant was still able to track Ron and so it flew a vine speeding through the air that latched itself around Ron securely.

"_RON!_"

Face contorted in rage, Kim leapt into the air, rolling herself into a ball aiming to bounce off the nearest tree and into the plant when something bowled her over. She fell back onto the muddy ground, skidding head-first into the base of a tree. Expecting it to be a vine from the plant, Kim immediately squirmed, attempting to reach for the laser that was no-longer with her.

"Are you _insane_?" came a sharp voice.

Once Kim was able to blink away the water from her eyes, she was able to make out the blurry form of Will Du pinning her to the mud.

"_What are you doing?_" she spat; she could toss him off easily.

"You can't just go charging head first after that thing! You need a _plan_!"

"It's going to _eat_ Ron! Uh, hello? Am I the _only_ one who saw those teeth!?"

"No, you weren't and that's why I'm _saving_ you from total and complete _DEATH_. Kimberly, stop a moment, we'll rescue Ron, but just… we need a _plan_."

Kim paused, allowing sense to come back to her. That's right, she needed a plan. Otherwise she'd be shredded apart as well. Looking up and over Will's shoulder, she watched as the plant began lowered its head and began to attempt to pick up the scents of its other two victims. It wasn't about to eat Ron, just yet anyway.

Ron was wrapped now in _two_ of the plants vines that covered all of Ron's torso and most of his legs. There wasn't anyway Ron was getting out of that on his own.

Then a horrific thought struck Kim, "My laser!" Kim pushed herself up, shoving Will off of her and sitting upright. "He has my laser, or dropped it…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Will reasoned, his voice hurried. "Even if your laser _could_ slice through those vines, you wouldn't be able to slice through all of those thick vines in time to save Ron. The plant would get you too."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Kim fired back. "We need… we need a plan…" Kim watched the plant, a short distance away. She should've been scared to death of it being so close. If it decided to send another plume of pollen their way, it would hit them before they could even scrabble away in this _mud_… Not that the pollen would stick to them anyway what with the _water_ continuing to come down…

Mud…

Water…

Kim's eyes thoughtlessly meandered onto the plants roots embedded deep into the ground that stretched on and on and…

_And on…_ she thought this and then…

"I've got a plan!"

Shocked, Will turned around, gazing in the direction Kim had as if hoping to see her plan written out in the air. He turned back around to face Kim but she was already fleeing into the underbrush. Flabbergasted, Will sped after her, calling her name.

"Kimberly! Kimberly, what are we doing? Tell me—"

She only halted when she reached the bottom of a tree, she faced Will. "Look," she urged, pointing at the ground.

Will looked down and pulled a look of disgust at the mud that had splattered all over his Global Justice uniform. His feet too were sinking into the mud created by the constant watering of the sprinklers. He inspected the bottom of his shoe with disgust but still did not understand Kim's plan.

"And there," she added, this time pointing to the plant.

The plant had moved, this time jiggling in its trudge in the other direction, Ron looking sick and defeated while he still swung around in the plant's unrelenting grip. Will was about to open his mouth and add another 'yea, so?' when he realised Kim hadn't just been pointing at the plant, but the base of the plant specifically and…

And it was having trouble moving.

Will gasped sharply as he realised the plant was not just stumbling and slipping the mud because it was slippery, because, no, it wasn't that at all. The roots weren't _on top_ of the dirt, but, yes, embedded deep within the ground, it was moving that way and… the roots were having trouble supporting the plant up because the mud was deepening and if the mud was deepening underneath and the roots were having trouble…

"You're going to sink it!?" Will cried but then realised Kim was no longer standing next to him—she was already on a tree branch aiming her grappling hook at a higher branch. "H-hey!"

Whipping out a small tool from his utility belt, Will brandished a smaller more compact version of a grappling hook and followed after Kim, always one branch behind. When he landed on the highest branch, the one closest to the nearby sprinkler Kim was one, she nodded.

"Exactly."

"And how to you plan to do that?" Will surveyed the conservatory beneath him from his birds-eye view. It was a lot smaller than it appeared on the ground. A lot of the plants were now ruined, a lot of branches snapped and bushes flattened into a muddy mess on the ground—all having been wrecked havoc upon by the devil plant which now stood beneath them, a little off to the right.

Will looked back at Kim and realised she had frozen, staring at the plant and seemingly zoning out. Quizzically, Will looked back down at the plant beneath them. Ah, Ron was so close. He couldn't see them above his head and appeared to have lost despair… or was just bored. His head hung limply to one side, his eyes hooded and weary.

Will again turned to Kim. His eyebrows narrowed.

Only when the plant sent out another plume of pollen, attempting to retrack its lost prey did Kim snap out of her stupor. Growling to herself, Kim reached up and out for the sprinkler, slightly unbalanced. Without thinking, Will reached out nearly clamping her steady with his hands on her hips but caught himself before doing so. Kim was able to steady herself anyhow.

Holding onto the sprinkler, Kim tugged at it and when that wasn't working fast enough, Will handed her his mini grappling hook- the two quick minds instantly understanding its use. Kim latched the hook onto the sprinkler then handed the device back to Will. Cautiously, Kim took a few steps backwards, the tree branch swaying slightly underneath.

Once Will checked the Kim was steady, he pressed the button on the grappling hook, retracting the device and in doing so, tearing the sprinkler wide open.

A streaming burst of pure thundering water plundered straight down and into the ground causing a sploosh of mud to splatter everywhere and with a grin of satisfaction, Kim was pleased to see that her plan was working. The mud where the water was berating down on relentlessly was already sinking a few of the smaller bushes and gobbling up lone leaves.

"But it's not enough," Kim added desperately, "We need to break the others too!" she thrust a finger at a nearby sprinkler, then to all the remaining ones.

"We can split up—use our grappling hooks," Will nodded. "And you realise it won't be safe to return to the ground once the sprinklers are all broken."

"I do," Kim breathed, "But we have no other plan."

Nodding in agreement, Will stood up and aimed his grappling hook for a nearby tree. "You take that side then, and I'll go this way."

"And when we're done, I'm rescuing Ron." As Kim said this, Will thought it could've been a threat. But no, she was just fiercely determined—so determined that it would even be at the cost of her own life if it had to be.

Not waiting for Will to answer, Kim shot off herself in the other direction leaving Will to stand in a moment of stupid confusion before he himself remembered the plan and fled as well.

The two worked quickly around the dome of the conservatory, breaking each and every sprinkler head allowing a steady stream of torrent water to pierce into the ground and allow the mud to spread and deepen. And after she broke a sprinkler, Kim would constantly check on the plant's progress—and on Ron. Ron was still caught, the plant still so intent to have a three course dinner.

But the plant was soon realising this was, for some reason, becoming increasingly difficult.

The plant _was_ sinking.

No longer were the roots above the ground visible, in fact, it was sinking at an incredibly fast rate. Well, not super fast, Kim noted, but faster than she had anticipated and the sooner that thing was done with, the better. After successfully completing the break of the last sprinkler head, Kim checked on Will's progress from across the conservatory and spotted him too breaking the last sprinkler.

Now all she had to do was wait.

The most _difficult_ part of the task.

Squatting on her branch, and placing her palms down, Kim eyed the plant—her eyes _never_ removing themselves from where the mud was slowly creeping up on the plant's stalk.

When the mud had reached its half-way point, Ron too began to notice what was going on. Looking down at the mud and realising both he and the plant were sinking, he began to panic. Ron squirmed wildly—left, right and center, but of course it would not help him. And Kim was agonised to see Ron so terse with fraught, thinking that he too would sink in the mud. Of course she wouldn't allow that to happen to Ron! But Will, blast him, was right, she couldn't charge in just yet.

The plant let out another of its shrieking cries as it sank further, the mud lapping at its petals surrounding its head. It struggled with difficulty to keep its head _and_ its prey above the mud and continually fought with its roots to climb itself back to the surface.

Kim flinched as the plant continued to let out appeals and shrills of rage. But although she constantly flinched and her eardrums resonated with the unbearable sound, her eyes would not remove themselves from Ron. The _instant_ the head went under…

Another cry—it sounded like the mix of a cat's yowl, the sound of metal scrapping, the groan of a creaking rocking chair and who knew what else alarumed Kim into what was happening to the plant. One of its roots under the ground must've given way and the plant toppled over, its vines, including the ones wrapped around Ron, smacked into the ground and were being swallowed up as well.

_NO!_

That was it— Kim was gone from her branch in less time it took to blink an eye. Searing through the air on her grappling hook, Kim splattered into the mud next to Ron. He, lighter than the plant obviously, was sinking quickly, already the mud was up to his chest.

"Kim!" he pleaded frightfully. He twisted himself in another lame attempt to free himself.

"Hang on, Ron, I'll get you outta there…" It was then that she realised she didn't have her laser.

"Kim?"

Kim stood completely dumbfounded and brainsmacked. _HOW_ could she have forgotten!!? No! No, this couldn't be, this could _SO_ not be happening to here! Not here, not now!!

Hands flying to her pockets and belt, she patted herself as she lost herself into the delusion that her laser would be with her, and that she'd find in just that last pocket… Otherwise… how else would she be able to free Ron!?

And while Kim was completely wound up in her shock, Ron sank further, now up to his chin, he called her name, but she was still in shock. Soon his cries became gargled. Ron was not the only one sinking either, Kim was too.

"Ron!" Kim's brain snapped back to reality and she reached out for Ron, plunged her arms into the mud and clasped onto his shoulders. Pushing on her feet, she fought to pull Ron up out of the mud but pushing on the mud beneath her that was now up to her knees only sunk her further.

"Kim…"

Ron gave a final breath before the mud swallowed his mouth, now creeping on his eyes…

"Ron…"

Kim wouldn't give up! Kim latched diligently fought and continued to inch Ron slowly out of the mud. The mud beneath them went on forever, the plant had already became its victim, Kim was determined neither herself nor Ron would add to the collection.

But with every inch Kim made in pulling Ron out of the mud, she sank an inch further all while the mud continued to eat at them, and in the end, Kim made no progress at all.

"Ah!!" she let out a cry when she felt arms clamping around her waist. But it wasn't any vines belong to the plant, that beast was gone forever now. It was Will Du!

With his grappling hook attached from a tree to his utility belt, Will wrapped his arms around Kim and Kim held fast onto Ron. Will brought the two upwards via his grappling hook to a safe branch. With the plant already dead beneath the mud having suffocated, the vines that had been wrapped around Ron gave Ron up with ease.

Reaching the branch, Will placed Kim against the trunk of the tree, allowing her to lay back and take in air. Ron was crumpled onto her lap, his chest heaving grievously for air. They would be okay. Choking for air, Kim looked once more at where the plant had been. Those last few vines that had seized Ron —the last of the plant to be seen—disappeared with a small bubble of mud.

It was over.

Sighing, Kim lifted a hand and placed it upon Ron's dirty head. Stroking his hair, it gave the both of them relaxation. Ron closed his mud-caked eyes as Kim stroked him and he continued to breathe strenuously.

When Kim was able to find her voice again, she looked Will in the eye. He sat in front of the both of them. Just watching. She studied his expression but there was none of that usual gloating look nor that typical sense of pride of his that _he_ had saved the _amateurs_. No… his expression was…

Unreadable.

"Thank-you," Kim breathed.

Ron opened an eye, rolling them upwards to glance at Kim. He was just as shocked as Will to hear that coming from her.

And Will _did_ fluster, if only briefly. But being as adept as he was, he recovered quickly and gave Kim a curt nod.

"When the two of you are ready, we can go after Drakken."

Kim wouldn't have it any other way.

-ø-

As expected, dealing with Drakken had been the easiest part. If not a little _too_ easy, but such was Drakken.

The mad scientist had been rendered speechless to see that all of them: Kim, Ron and Will had not only escaped his genetically mutated corpse plant, but had even gone so far as to _kill_ it as well. Oh, he had not been happy about that. Drakken had gone on and on about how he had raised 'the little guy' from a tiny bud and how they had sang karaoke together and all those nights they had spent staying up late, watching movies…

'_Okay, what?'_ Had been Kim's response, and apparently Shego's as well. It was then that Shego cut off Drakken from his disheartening ramble about his plant when she had noticed Ron's glasses and proceeded to mock him. Ron had not taken to that and as Shego threw back her head for another round of hearty laughter, a small vial had fallen from her person. It was the vial she had stolen from the laboratory that night Kim and Ron had been guard-watching. She made a desperate lunge for it but Ron had gotten to it first, strutting over to his Kim and handing it to her like a good fetcher.

And why had the vial been so important to Shego? She certainly fought Kim ferociously for its return, so it had to be important. It was—it was a super bug repellent. The key to Shego's survival from the mosquitoes during her stay with Drakken in the Amazon.

While, now that Kim had it back and would return it to the laboratory, Shego insisted that she and Drakken make a run for it. Which was a good idea seeing as how both Will and Ron were working together to detonate the lair.

Of course it exploded in the end—the lair bursting into a plume of firey combustion. Kim, Ron and Will watched the sight a safe distance away from the building, sheltered by the trees and the sun going down. Off in the sky Kim could not see Drakken's hovercraft leaving with the villain and his crew safely aboard for escape. But Kim didn't even dare to assume they were completely gone—surely they had escaped somehow.

When the lair's fire burnt out, the trio made their way in silence back to their camp where they would resume their hike back to Will's hoverjet the following day. It was right when the three were in the middle of their meal did light rain begin to shower down from above.

Kim looked up and felt a raindrop splat herself in the eye. She winched and glanced back down at her bowl of oatmeal then glanced towards Ron who was already puffed up like an owl in a downpour. He was never one for rain. Will was the only one who appeared unperturbed by the change of weather. Not wanting to be out-done by Will especially since he had just saved her and Ron's lives that day, Kim stayed by the camp circle to finish her meal. And Ron stayed only because Kim did.

Kim was scrapping the bottom of her bowl when she felt Ron stir beside her. While he had been quietly eating his oatmeal, he had shuffled close to Kim so he was pressed against her as far as he could go; it had made Kim feel warm inside that he sought her comfort. When he did begin to stir, Kim lifted her head to watch and wonder what he was doing. He was done with his bowl and placed it on the stone he had been sitting on then walked away.

_Not_ in the direction of the tent, Kim observed. She sighed heavily with immense disappointment in Ron's judgement. Turning away from him in mild disgust, she heard the rustling sounds of him disappearing in the bushes to wretch up what he had eaten. As discreet as he was, the sounds of his coughing could still be heard at the campsite.

Will perked up and looked around for Ron only to realise he wasn't there. Then he heard the sounds. "Is he sick?" Will whispered, leaning closer to Kim. "Is it something in the food?"

"No," Kim sighed and placed her cheek in her palm. "He's not sick."

Will frowned, then he began to understand. "He's not… _is_ he?"

Kim nodded, "He's bulimic. We're working on it. To tell you the truth, I'm a little disappointed in him right now. He knows better."

"Odd, he's as thin as a twig."

"Long and personal story."

Nodding, Will replied, "Not something you often see in a _boy_. You know, there are some scientists at Global Justice—"

"As I said," Kim interrupted, "It's something _we're_ working on."

Nodding curtly, Will scrapped at the bottom of his oatmeal bowl and left it to sit on the ground where the rain would clean it out over night. Then a harsh reply: "If he didn't want his half, he should have given it to someone who did."

Kim flashed Will a venomous look, but he didn't even notice or care to take notice. Instead, Will stood up, dusted his hands and said: "You better get some sleep, Kimberly. We'll be leaving early again to-morrow. Unlike… _some_… people. _I_ have other missions to go on. It all comes with being the _top_ agent."

"Oh, spare me," Kim snorted and rolled her eyes.

Will gave her a dirty look before he marched off into his tent.

Scooping up the last bits of oatmeal with her spoon, Kim stood up and tried to wring some of the water out of her hair. The rain was becoming heavier and she had a decision to make. It wasn't one Kim wanted to make, but she already knew the answer and began to dread revealing it upon Ron's return.

When Ron did return, he had another mint in his mouth. He walked over to Kim. "Where'd Will go?" he asked.

"Inside his tent," Kim replied, jerking her thumb at the light inside Will Du's tent. His figure could be seen sitting up inside.

"Alright, let's head into ours," Ron answered. "I'm getting all wet again," then he grinned, "Guess that means we'll have to sleep in our—"

"Ron," Kim spoke. Her voice was stern, stoic and saddened. "You won't be coming inside the tent to-night."

Ron's eyes lit up and he looked ghostly, his skin glowing pale in the rain and his hair plastered to his forehead as the rain continued to intensify. "W-what do you mean?"

"You know the rules back at campus."

"N-no way, KP. No way, not here, not on the mission. Kim—it's _raining_! Are you seriously suggesting that…" But Kim's depressed face said it all. Ron could only stare at Kim in shock. "Out… _out_ here all night? By myself? Kim, please…"

"Ron, I don't want to do this, but you knew the rules when you went to vomit."

"Yea, but—"

"I never said there were any exceptions."

"What if I just stay in my sleeping bag instead? Kim, don't…"

But Kim was already shading her head sadly and turning to leave. "It'll give you a good lesson, Ron. I can't bend the rules or you'll never learn. It's to help you."

"You're not helping me," Ron replied bitterly.

Couldn't Ron see how torn Kim was? Couldn't he see this wasn't what Kim wanted either?

She didn't miss her eyes dart to the bracelet around her wrist. Now becoming slightly irate, she shook her head and clicked her tongue. "It has nothing to do with that, you won't con me that way, Ron. I'm sorry, I really am. But maybe if you realise how serious I am, you'll eventually stop. I can't let things slide. I'm sorry…"

Ron turned away aggressively, "Whatever."

"Ron, I _love_ you…"

He said nothing. He only walked as far away as he could get from Kim and stay within the clearing. Ron sat down against a tree, it shielded him slightly, but only slight and she knew he would be beyond drenched before the night was through.

Left to stand in the rain, Kim watched him with a fallen face as he sat and did not move or stir. Downcast, Kim turned and entered her tent. Sitting down, she peered at Ron through the flap as the rain now began to thud down onto the forest floor.

Kim sat there in the tent by herself as minutes flew by. She didn't even stir, she was frozen in her own thoughts—her eyes never removing themselves from that spot on the tent that was no different than any other.

Momentarily, her eyes flickered when a large splatter of rain struck the tent above her head. Lifting her head skywards, she stared blankly at the tent cover, able to see the rain now beating down on the tent, just as it had done the night before. But the night before Ron had been in the tent with her… she faced the two sleeping bags that lay before her. Ron would not be joining her to-night.

Should she?

Should she continue this with him? Did it really matter now that she was going to be sending him away? Did she have to continue with this 'lesson' of hers so he would eventually come to understand not to do this to himself?

_We only have… a few more nights together before I send him away. And I've no idea how long we'll be separated, it'd all be up to Ron then. But this… this I can control…_

She gave one last longing look in the direction of the closed tent flap. Ron was out there, soaking and probably trembling in fright of the creatures and crawlies that came out in the Amazon's nightscape.

_But if I don't allow him back in, it'll still be something he remembers. Even when he's at that place. He won't ever want this again and it'll stop him in case he ever has a relapse. So… I have to…_

All this time Kim was telling Ron to suck it up and deal with it.

She should've been telling herself.

-ø-

"_Back off_!"

It was that snarling outcry that awoke Kim the following morning. Kim's eyes fluttered open and she could barely believe that she had actually fallen asleep all the way through the night. She had been so conflicted last night; she hadn't thought any time had passed by as she laid down on top of the sleeping bags to contemplate what to do. But time _had_ passed _and_ claimed her sleeping rights and now it was releasing her to the new day. That meant Ron truly had spent the entire night in the pouring Amazon rain.

Ron!

Was he okay!?

It was Ron's voice that had awoken her—that harsh, irate snap that came from outside the tent. Leaping to her feet with her cheerleader-like ease, Kim dashed out of the tent and blinked several times.

Not only was it no longer raining, but the sun was being awfully chipper too. The Amazon sun had returned and its scorching sunlight was reaching even the back of Kim's eyeballs. Taking a moment to squint, she spotted Ron standing aggressively by the tree where he had claimed it his shelter the prior night.

"It's none of your biz!" Ron shot out at Will Du who backed away from Ron, his palms up in defence.

"I only asked you a question!"

"Yea, with a side dish of carpe de 'tude!"

"I thought you were the sane one," Will grumbled, stalking away.

Kim's heart gave a jerk of fear the instant Ron's foot shot forwards as if he was going to fling himself at Will but thankfully Ron held himself from doing so. But that glare Ron sent Will's back was enough to be considered guilty of first degree murder.

"R-Ron!" Kim decided to call out to him, hopefully distract him and snap him out of that frightening look.

It worked halfway: Ron did snap out of that frenzied state of hate and stared at Kim. He blinked at her in confusion and then realised she was nearing him. Snorting, Ron pulled away, leaning against the tree and giving Kim his back.

"Ron, don't be like that to me," Kim growled.

"Yea, and why shouldn't I?" he snapped back, "You weren't exactly playing the Queen of Hearts last night."

Rufus poked his head out of Ron's pocket and stuck his tongue out at Kim; she frowned. Rufus then scuttled up Ron's back and brooded with Ron on his shoulder.

Kim sighed, she was just as upset about it as Ron was, but if he wasn't going to be open enough to understand that then she was in no mood to explain it. "Look, do you want breakfast or not?"

Ron slipped his glasses off his face to clean away the rain stains with his mission shirt. "Oh, no, KP, I dun wanna risk you _leaving me_ here in the Amazon if I do."

"Ron!" Kim cried, scandalised by his continuously harsh attitude, "You know it wasn't because you _ate_."

Ron was too busy cleaning his glasses to respond.

Kim attempted to place a hand upon Ron's shoulder. "Come on, we've dealt with this before. You learned your lesson, right? So let's go have breakfast and head back to TCU."

For moment, Kim thought Ron would turn around, his brooding mood vanquished and give her that smile of his that always warmed her inside. He was about to turn his head, almost catching her from the corners of his eyes when… he defiantly cast his head away from her.

Denied.

Taking in a deep breath, Kim let out a long exhale. "Okay, Ron. You join me when you're ready," so she concluded darkly before stalking off.

While Kim ate her breakfast, Will had already vanished his and was packing away his tent. Ron on the other hand, hadn't even budged from his spot underneath the tree. As Kim ate, she wondered to herself if Ron was in the right—if he deserved to feel this way and if it was _she_ who should be apologising, not treating him like he was acting foolishly. Her spoon clattered into her bowl and she stared at the half eaten bowl of oatmeal, feeling disgusted.

Without even looking at it, she could feel the bracelet around her wrist—she could feel the grooves of the woven lanyard bracelet around her wrist and the weight of the heart charm dangling.

_I'm not doing this on purpose,_ she told the condemning bracelet. _I just… I don't know _what_ to do right now. I love him, duh. At least… at least I won't have to deal with times like these for much longer. Some professional will be able to handle him and I won't have to feel guilty._

Sure didn't stop the _current_ guilt though.

Unable to control the inner turmoil that was beginning to leave her feeling sick to the stomach, Kim decided she was done with her meal. Cleaning out the bowls and packing them all away, by time she had finished with the tent, Will was already lounging on a rock waiting for her while Ron was still brooding with his arms crossed under his tree.

Kim's eyes darted to Will, he had been watching her.

"_What_?" she snapped at him, still in an irritable mood from her conversation with Ron.

"Nothing," Will replied without changing his expression.

"Tchach," Kim rolled her eyes, "You always have something to say."

"I'm waiting so we can head back to my jet."

"Oh, well I'm _so_ honoured your highness graced me with such a charitable act." Nervously, Kim's eyes flickered over to Ron, he was staring at the trees above.

"You know," Will's calm voice startled Kim, "You should take better hold of the situation."

"_Excuse_ me?" Kim whipped around, dropping the metal poles she had been stuffing away.

"It's not your fault he's acting this way. You did the right thing. He won't stay like this forever. If he wants to be left alone, do it. Hold your ground."

Kim's rigid stance slid. She blinked a few times. "Oh. Thanks."

"You are the leader of your ama- … group."

"Yea…"

Slowly, Kim turned back to packing up the tent. Her brows furrowed as she was slightly disturbed by what Will had just told her. It was true, after all, Ron wouldn't be in this mood forever, but it still pulled on her guilt strings. But then Will was right, as was her inner self: don't be wishy-washy with him, he won't learn that way.

_Ron's used to getting what he wants with me all his life. Okay, so he's just throwing a tantrum and you've got to let him do that, Possible._ She told herself. Hoisting up the tent bag, she exhaled deeply. _Hopefully Ron will be get distracted by something shiny and be back to his usual blissfully innocent self!_

All ready to go, Kim began to push her way through the undergrowth vegetation and after Will who was leading the way on the hike back to his hover jet. Pausing with a hand upon a leaf of a fern, she glanced behind herself and spotted Ron ambling after them, staring moodily at the ground. Kim sucked on her lips. Alright, if that's the way it was going to be for now, then so be it.

It had been a few hours hike through the jungle as it had been the first time. Although to Kim, it certainly felt a lot longer than that. Of course, this was not only due to the fact that the sun was beating down on them mercilessly, but more to the fact that Ron had not spoken to her nor tried to appeal to her attention the entire time. It was almost like he wasn't there and at times this sent a small pain of anxiety inside Kim. Kim would find herself peering over her shoulder from time to time just to make sure Ron was still there even though she could hear his footsteps. Not once did she catch him looking at her.

"Nrggg…" it would always have her saying. Then she would look up ahead at the back of Will's head and groan yet again.

_Great, stuck with two hard-heads. What fun this trip is turning out to be!_

She had been sure Ron would have at least, once the first hour had gone by, at least be walking next to her! His prolonged attitude was becoming to be a shock to Kim. But not as great a shock as the next one was going to be.

"_WHAT?!_"

"W-Will?"

Will's gasp was a loud one. "M-my hoverjet!!" he cried out.

Blinking in stunned confusion, Kim bounded after Will Du to see what was causing the great commotion. _Maybe there's a monkey sitting on his jet_, Kim chided to herself.

But when she saw that it was _not_ a monkey sitting on Will's jet but rather looked like monkeys had _torn apart_ his jet, Kim was no longer laughing.

"No way," she breathed.

Will stood before what once could have been called his jet. But now it looked like it had been his jet a hundred years ago. The entire hoverjet had been decimated on the outside. It was torn and stripped apart, the wings were broken and limp, the windows were smashed into thousands of criss-crossing spider webs and parts of the jet's inner mechanisms were thrown all about the little clearing. The door was in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"No way!" Kim this time cried and ran after Will who had already clambered inside the hoverjet. "Will?" she called.

Kim coughed and frowned through the dim light and waved away some dust motes. The jet, having one of its wheels ripped away, was lopsided and Kim had to hold onto the doorframe to keep herself steady.

"Will…" she didn't even know what to say.

Will was sitting in his cockpit seat and going over the controls. The seat was also on a slant and he had to sit in the corner to just sit upright.

"Broken, broken, broken," Will was muttering under his breath as Kim climbed over to where he sat, always holding onto pieces of poking out jet. From behind, she heard Ron approaching the doorframe and knew he too was taking his first glimpse of the destroyed insides.

"Is nothing working?" Kim asked, trying to contain the shock.

"Nothing's _working!_" Will slammed his fists on the slanted control panel. Losing his temper, he smashed himself back into the seat and pushed his hand through his slicked back hair.

"What about… what about…" Kim scanned the control panel and tried to understand what she was seeing. The entire board was basically gutted. Levers were yanked out, wires from inside were hanging out… everything was a complete mess. "What about a distress signal? What about…"

Then Will shot up and reached for the receiver. He flipped a switch a couple of times while saying: "Agent Will Du requesting urgent SOS to Global Justice, do you read me?"

Everyone was quiet as they waited for a response. Frowning with increasing temperament, Will repeated this.

Then there was a static and Kim sucked in her breath. Was that… faint voices?

"Hello."

Kim gave a small cry of joy while Will almost fell out of his seat, surprised it had actually worked. "Uh… Agent Will Du reporting. My hoverjet has been rendered incapable of flying and a replacement is needed urgently. My coordinates are, um…" He whipped around facing Kim, "What are our coordinates!? The jet's broken—I can't check!"

"Uh…" Kim was about to respond when the voice on the other side broke in.

"Check that Agent Will Du. We have a lock on your coordinates and will be sending the replacement jet. It will arrive shortly. Over and out."

Will gave a sigh of relief, "At least the signal wasn't broken otherwise I wouldn't know how they could locate us."

"Well, Ron's got a chip in him, they could always track that!" Kim smirked, it had been meant as a joke but when she turned around to exchange a smile with Ron, she just caught him leaving. She groaned silently to herself.

"C'mon, Will, let's wait outside."

"I don't understand how this could have happened," Will exclaimed as he trailed after Kim and outside the hoverjet. "Who could have trashed my jet?! Who could have known it was here?"

Outside, Kim approaching the torn shell of the jet, gently skimming her fingers over the shredded metal. "Maybe Drakken did this, maybe he found the jet on his escape and Shego with his henchmen trashed it? You know, to strand as a last ditch attempt for killing his plant?"

Will squinted at his hoverjet for a few seconds. "Perhaps."

"But you would've thought they'd have broken the receiver cord. I mean," Kim shrugged, walking away from the jet. She spotted Ron sitting by a giant fern with Rufus just on the edge of the clearing. "Wouldn't that be the _first_ thing they would go for? To make sure we can't contact anyone for help?"

Now looking at the ground, lost in thought, Will nodded. "That would've been the likely thing to do. Not that I'd ask him to do it."

Kim chuckled, "Oh wow, now was that supposed to be a joke?" She arched an eyebrow.

Will snorted and looked away, "No." A wry smile crossed Kim's face. "It was sarcasm."

"But you said 'not'. That's a joke, Will."

Continuing to look away, Kim distinctly caught a small, very tight smile stretch slowly across his face.

Satisfied with that, Kim strode over to where Ron sat and leaned against the nearest tree. She allowed a few minutes of silence to pass by before she attempted to speak.

"Pretty suspicious, huh?" she said conversationally.

"I didn't do it."

Kim raised her eyebrows in surprised. "Didn't say you did, Ron."

Ron slouched forwards, chin in his palm. He pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"Ron, how about we go to Bueno Nacho when we get back to TCU?"

Ron didn't even look at her.

"Ron, what are you so wound up about? _Still_ last night? _Still_ because you had to follow our Rules?!"

"Yea, I kinda am, KP!" Ron stood up, dusting off the dirt from his pants. Rufus wound up to his neck from his pocket and peered menacingly at Kim. "You know I'm gonna be leaving you soon! For I don't even know how long! We got little and littler time together, KP. I'll be learning all my lessons real good and fine once I'm all locked up so I expected a little more compassion from you. You know, maybe act _supportive_ before I'm jailed in? I'm not exactly bustling with anticipation over this!"

"Ron…" Kim recoiled, tapping the tips of her fingers together feeling ashamed.

Ron crossed his arms and continued to glare at Kim.

"I thought maybe you 'n I could be having a great time together, cut all these stupid 'rules' and 'lessons' since I'll be studying them real hard when it's time for me to leave. You know, just so we could just be us and enjoy the little time we have left?" Ron snorted and hunched his shoulders. "But guess not."

Then he stalked off to another spot where he could be alone with Rufus and Kim was left by herself, slouched and feeling battered.

"Ergh!" she cried and hit herself against the tree which she followed up with a despondent moan.

Of course Ron was right and she wanted that more than anything! Didn't he understand that she didn't enjoy playing the role of police officer?! Didn't he think she wanted him in that tent just as much as he did?!

But she _couldn't_ because _Ron_ made the mistake and he had to be punished for that, right?

She moaned again.

_Can I really forgo the rules in these last few days?_ She asked herself. Then she recalled what Will had told her that morning at camp:

"_It's not your fault he's acting this way. You did the right thing. He won't stay like this forever. If he wants to be left alone, do it. Hold your ground."_

Well, two against one… Maybe Will was right. Sighing, Kim turned around, this time leaning her back against the tree. She allowed her hair to hang over her face.

_Yea, but Ron's sure acting like 'forever'_. She lifted an eye to spot Ron brooding on another end of the clearing.

Releasing all of her thoughts aggravations into a much-anticipated sigh that blew a strand of hanging hair from her face and her eyes meandering across the clearing, Kim went over in her mind what she ought to be doing. Well, given their sitch, she decided perhaps she should beep in Wade and give him the down-lo on what was going on. He hadn't called in for quite some time. Blinking, Kim realised she was a bit surprised that he hadn't beeped in that morning.

Frowning, Kim was just about to reach into her pocket for the Kimmunicator when she heard the sounds of a plane whooshing through the air up above. Caught off guard, Kim stumbled away from the edge of the clearing and into the open staring at the sky. No, it definitely wasn't her imagination! Kim caught the distinctive colours of Global Justice painted onto the approaching hover jet.

_Wow, they really do mean fast!_ Kim realised she had better move back to where she had been standing before to allow the hove jet some space to land. _Sure wish I had Global Justice to pick me up from school on those rainy days back in High School! _

Making sure she knew where Ron was brooding, Kim watched, she had to admit, impressively, as the hover craft hovered in the air by its beaten up cousin and then began to descend. Squinting as the rushing air of the hover jet whipped up a flurry of wind, Kim glanced at Will who was already making his way towards the jet despite the brewing breeze. Once the craft had landed, the doorway lifted and a boarding plank slid out promptly.

Uncharacteristically cautious, Kim stepped forwards placing a shoe in the still waving grass and once again double checked that Ron was following her before striding forwards completely and venturing onto the emergency hover jet. The hover jet wasn't an exact duplicate of Will's. Glancing briefly to the left, Kim noticed the cockpit was in another room and to her right past some rich-blue curtains, she found herself entering more of a mini lounge than rows of airplane seats.

"Is this the executive class?" Kim couldn't help but tease Will. But then the smirk vanished when Will didn't even return a haughty remark. In fact, he hadn't even heard her. "Will?" she wavered.

Will, having past the curtains, was standing in the middle of the craft looking rather bemused as he slowly scanned the entire craft with his tiny, scrutinising eyes. His fists, slightly risen, were clenched at his side. Tilting her head as she gazed, Kim wondered if he looked as if he had never seen the inside of a hover jet before.

Kim chuckled to herself, wishing she could share her joke with Ron. _Perhaps Will's never seen the inside of a _real_ hover jet before. Maybe now he realises he's _not_ Global Justice's Number One Agent! Am I sensing a strong case of jealousy? Somebody bring in the jury!_

Feeling content with her jokes, Kim strutted past Will. The door to the craft shut in a zip the instant Ron clambered on after her. Taking a seat, Kim bounced backwards into an armchair and stretched out her arms. Well, at least this was a lot more comfy than Will's hover jet!

_Oh and hey, wouldya look at that. A teen magazine!_ Kim plucked what happened to be one of her favourite teen magazines from a table and began to flip it open. It was a really old issue, from about a few years ago, but she didn't really care. Realising what opportunity the magazine brought to her, Kim stealthily spied on overtop the magazine at Ron now taking a seat further away from her on a chesterfield. She grimaced. Ron placed his hands upon his lap, sniffled, and began to look around the craft. This reminded Kim of Will and she groaned as she spotted the supposed 'Number One' agent still brooding over how better this craft was than his.

_Men_, Kim shook her head and returned to her magazine. Blowing more strands of hair from her face and rolling her eyes, Kim predicted she would be in for a long, silent and boring, ride back to TCU.

-ø-

Well, she had been half right on that one. It was long, and it certainly was boring, but it wasn't exactly quiet. Kim wasn't even quite sure how she found herself in the situation in the first place, but before she knew it herself, the magazine was facedown on her lap and she was currently engaged in conversation with Will Du.

Okay, so Kim wasn't exactly _engaged_ in conversation either as Will _was_ the one doing the most talking. Resting her head upon her hand leaning against the armchair rest, Kim was nodding as she listened to Will Du walk about some new program Global Justice was constructing. She was only catching bits of the conversation, but a lot of it was going out one ear. Basically, she was wondering why Will was even _talking_ to her. (Or even thinking she'd be interested in such a conversation!)

In any case, at one point, just to make things a little more interesting, Kim found her eyes resting on Ron as Will droned on. At least he didn't have to pretend he was listening. Ron had not engaged himself in either Will or herself the entire time. He defiantly remained silent and had been mostly looking out the window with Rufus on his shoulder. But as Ron shifted himself in that instant, she found herself locking eyes with him.

She felt herself go a little flushed. Why? Was this reminding her of something? Kim furrowed her brow.

("—Oh I know, it aggrieves me too—" Will went on.)

Then as Ron's eyes flickered and some colour rose to his cheeks, a flash of a long ago memory came back to her…

In this memory she, just as in the present, had just locked eyes with Ron as the two stared at each other from sofas far away from one another. Neither of them were alone although just looking into the other's eyes, they each felt that way. But the reality back then that each of them _had_ been with someone else. Kim with Josh and Ron with Tara. So many years ago at a party during which the two great friends had not been so great of friends.

Embittered, Kim thought on this memory. They hadn't come to talk to each other that time despite the longing feeling she had felt inside herself to do so. She had blocked that feeling and had been in deep denial. Kim knew better than that now, surely Ron did as well.

This was stupid, Will's advice was stupid and Ron was being stupid. Gritting her teeth, Kim realised she didn't care what anyone thought and if _she_ wanted to go sit next to Ron and feel bad for what she'd done as she was obviously feeling then she'd go do so.

But just as Kim placed her hands on the armchair's armrests to push herself up… the memory repeated itself.

Kim was in half stance and she stared dumbstruck as Ron, his eyes already removed from Kim, stood up and walked away from Kim, beyond the curtains.

Kim sat down.

She couldn't help herself but an insane amount of shivers just trickled down her spine and all over her bare arms! As Will droned on in background noise, Kim's mind raced to calm herself down. This was _not_ a repeat of last time.

_He's probably just going trying to haggle free peanuts from the pilot!_

Her eyes nervously swept to Will next to her. And then out of pure shock…

"What's wrong?"

"H-what?" This time Will _did_ earn her full attention.

"I asked you what's wrong," he repeated bluntly.

"N-nothing," Kim replied, a nettle growing.

The corner of Will's mouth twitched. "I don't believe you're telling me the truth, Kimberly."

Kim's eyes flew open wider, shocked by her friendly-rival's persistence. "Um, it's just Ron, that's all," she decided to say, "He just went past the curtains, erm…"

Will shrugged, his eyes darting to the curtains. "Probably just going to try and find free peanuts.."

A small smile, "That's what I thought."

He smirked. "Are you interested in what I'm talking to you about?"

"Hah?"

"Are you? Do you want to know more?" Will seemed oddly persistent.

A groan made itself known inside Kim, _So he can _brag_ some more._ But at least it would distract herself from Ron.

"Sure, go ahead."

This time Will actually smiled and he continued his who-knew-what topic.

Kim felt herself deflating on the inside as time passed. She caught herself doing it the first time, it was clear to her that her eyes were automatically dashing over to the curtains, checking for Ron's return. With no watch on hand and no clock on the wall, Kim had no idea how to judge time but something inside of her felt as if Ron had disappeared behind those curtains for a pretty long time. Surely if the pilot didn't have peanuts, he would have booted Ron back to the lounge by now!

Right when Kim began to wonder if she should go and bring Ron back, she lifted an eyebrow and her eyes once again returned to the curtains where Ron had disappeared behind.

She thought she heard a scuffle but then she supposed Ron probably just tripped over something as he was often prone to doing.

"Look, Will—"

What was that sound? Metal scrapping metal?

Kim lifted the magazine.

She thought she heard a thud.

"I'm really sure that's all very fascinating to you but—"

A _groan_?

"—quite frankly this article on which nail clipper—"

"_KIM!!_"

Kim dropped the magazine.

Okay now_ WHY_ was their a sudden humungous draft inside the plane!?

Kim's face whipped in the direction of her hair and she felt her heart seize itself when she saw the curtains now flapping wildly. Will too jolted out of his seat but it was Kim who ran forwards and leapt through the curtains to see…

The door was wide open and Ron was missing. Kim slammed into the doorway and was horrified to see Ron tumbling out of the airplane.

_What in the WORLD?_

She would allow time for what happened later, right now: it was rescue time. Without a second's thought, Kim dove out the airplane.

Still in the air, Kim reached for her grappling hook within her backpack and shot it back up to where she had just leapt off. The hook clasped onto the doorframe and held her securely.

Satisfied, Kim directed herself downwards. Now able to swoop through the air like a warm blade through butter, she sped downwards, aiming towards her target. Pulling her left arm to her side and keeping her legs tightly together, Kim gained velocity, diving fearlessly, her only concern to rescue her friend who meant so much to her (and Rufus too!). Like a hawk sweeping towards it's prey on the ground, Kim directly herself with precision, her grip securing on the handle of her hair dryer/grappling hook, preparing for the sudden extra weight.

"Gotcha!" Kim grinned once she reached out to Ron with her left hand and snagged onto the quickest thing she could grab of his; his belt.

"Kim?" Ron shouted with confusion, looking up at his heroine. Rufus even sneaked a peak out of Ron's pocket to take a look at the action, but suddenly decided it was too spacious up in the air, high above the rainforest.

_He's not smiling at me…_

Regardless, with a smile to him, Kim had prepared herself well and kept her strain on the handle steady as she felt the backlash of the sudden weight. For a moment, she continued to swing forward with Ron in tow, but instantly she felt the familiar feel of the rope reaching its highest point with the newly added weight surely only to swing back. Gradually, it lost its momentum and came to rest swaying slightly as the airplane continued to soar in the air.

"How about we get back up to the plane, h'm?" She attempted to tease Ron.

"But Kim!" He returned, raising his voice to be heard over the rippling wind. Kim didn't hear him, his voice was swept away by the rapturous wind.

Reaching for the trigger on the handle, Kim was ready to reel themselves in and back into the safety of the plane where they would continue their safe and relaxing journey home to Middleton. Maybe after this event, maybe after Kim saving Ron's life, he would talk to her again…

But it didn't happen that way.

The rope continued to rock to and fro, thus angling the two in the flurry as the airplane flew on; this made it complex for them to reel in this way, going against a harsh wind. Slightly nettled, Kim wondered why the pilot wasn't slowing down some for them; she didn't recall him saying he was on a schedule. But it didn't matter, it was still no big. Harder, but no big.

She waited for the familiar back flap, much like a flag flapping in the breeze on a flagpole. She'd wait for the rope to reach its highest point then the rope would slack for a fraction as to wave backwards and then repeat this process in the other direction creating a back-and-forth waving motion. The slack would be the easiest moment to pull the trigger.

Just as she felt it, something suddenly felt appallingly wrong.

To Kim, it all occurred in slow motion, but in actual retrospect, it happened so fast, no-one had even a split of a second to think or react appropriately. All Kim could remember was the sudden firmness of the rope at its brink fail altogether and feel herself slip down… _too_ far down; down in a _falling_ sort of way. And at the exact moment she felt the unforeseen slack, her mind screamed and felt suddenly lost… the same moment was when she lost her grip; her hold on not only the hair dryer… but Ron too.

He let out a yell of terror and it bore into her mind forever. It flooded her mind and she felt excessively sick, Kim thought she might actually retch right then and there in the air. She was at such an angle that she could actually _see_ Ron fall… fall to the canopy trees… no parachute… no grappling hook… no Kim. Like a cat who never quite got it straight, he turned in his fall, but not so he faced the tearing trees below, but to look up and see Kim.

His eyes cried volumes to Kim and she felt as if she was his own executioner, for a slight moment they locked eyes once again and she felt suspended in midair for that time alone. Ron's bright brown eyes wide in fear, they almost spoke to Kim: '_You let me down… again._'. And then that fraction of suspended time broke like a crystal, shattered into millions of pieces on a ballroom floor. But to Kim, time wasn't the only thing that shattered…

Then Ron's expression changed, just before it became unreadable and nothing but a distant dot in a sea of green and black. Kim was mystified, it suddenly depicted a new fear and it took her a moment to realise he was no longer looking at her, but _past_ her. And in that instant that the message was sent, he plummeted downwards, his back arched for impact. Ron was gone.

Nothing could be done for Ron now, no way to save him, her rational side of mind cried out bitterly yet managed to say, _but focus on what he was telling you_, and she did. Ron was looking past her for a reason, only when Kim managed to twist herself in her pitch and to the airplane above did the sudden breakage of the rope make sense.

Residue of emerald-green, with hints of black, plasma-flame burnt in the violent zephyr upon the rope that had once held them tight to the plane. There, standing in the doorway and beside herself in nefarious glee was the familiar form of twisted colours: green and black.

Shego.

_It was a trap!_ Kim wept miserly, wind pounding in her ears deafeningly, _Will's hover jet being trashed… oh _why_ didn't I see it? Everything ruined except for the radio to call for help... calling to _Drakken_ to let him know we're ready to be taken to our deaths!? It had all been a trap…_

Rushing air continued to blare past Kim's ears; it was all her mind could focus on, that and the repetitive scream of 'Danger! Danger!'. It felt forever for her to fall through the barren sky; she looked up at Shego above, standing in the airplane doorway, grinning daemonically down at her as Kim sped further and further away from the plane. All the while waving at her as Kim went. Then to Kim's horror, she first noticed that Shego was not just waving a mocking hand, but an object…. _the Kimmunicator!_

Now Kim's thoughts raced harder than ever and she was sure that her heartbeat could be heard even down to the ants on the rainforest floor, vibrating the leaves and rustling bird's feathers. There was no way to call for help, her only communication with Wade… lost.

Her hair whipped about wildly in the wind, obscuring her visions and stinging her eyes. She tried to push the screaming thoughts of fear aside and concentrate: no tools did she have to get her out of this mess… Her grappling hook was cut from its grapple, the rope and hook still clinging to the airplane and the actual hair dryer had fallen from her grip in a moment of panic and now lay lost somewhere on the rainforest floor.

_Parachute!_ Her mind blazed the thought like a lighthouse. No more did she look into Shego's deriding face, but rather turned herself around in the air to look upon the dizzying scene of endless oceanic green that was the top layer of the emergent layer below. The wind raced past her madingly, so hard was it for her to concentrate on any sort of thoughts as the sea of forest was drawing closer to swallow her whole.

_Tug!_ She thought and Kim reached to her backpack and groped despairingly for the hook to pull… _There!_ Hope was not all lost, the first tug didn't open the chute and she let herself panic for a split second. _No time for that!_ And she reached again and tugged harder. Nothing. _Not to worry, even I've had to tug more than once to open a parachute… twice… _thrice…

Kim's adrenalin level was sky-rocketing as she tugged, tears of desperation flying into the air when she yanked on the parachute cord countless times to no avail. Above her, beyond the wrathful wind and her screaming thoughts she heard distant laughter. It was sadistic to Kim's ears to hear Shego laughing; Kim was sure the villainess was laughing at her failed attempts to secure her only brand of safety; with the retched sound of vile laughter her heart sunk somewhere around the region her stomach. _Of course they wouldn't give me a working parachute… if there was even a parachute in there!_

From far above, beyond the wind ripping away at Kim's eardrums she could hear Shego laugh out: "Bye-bye, Princess!"

It was then that everything seemed pointless. Her motto… it meant nothing now: 'I can do anything!', what _could_ she do? As she fell, the trees sweeping closer and closer, for once Kim felt utterly hopeless. Not only was it all over, but she had lost and _let down_ Ron too. It was all her fault. Nothing mattered anymore, there was no way she… _Ron_ could survive any of this. Plummeting from a speeding aircraft and dropped helpless from a ridiculous height with nothing but a rainforest to envelope her body. Would Wade be able to find their mangled bodies? A more shallow side of her said: _And Ron was still angry with me._

But with that aside and the knowledge of her fate, that at least herself and her long-time friend since three would at least be together, wherever they may be headed, set a peaceful calm flow through her mind and body.

_Nothing left to do_, Kim thought, _But to embrace the impact, I just hope it won't be too painful_.

And she fell like a fallen angel to the forgotten rainforest below where the trees embodied her, all becoming the most darkest of blacks.


End file.
